


Shifting Sands

by RoyalBlue13



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: Egyptian adventure, Family Issues, OC Antagonist, but he's not the focus of it, hints at jedtavius but they still are not an official couple
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2020-03-09 20:44:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 57,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18924664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoyalBlue13/pseuds/RoyalBlue13
Summary: Though the Tablet and Ahkmenrah returned to the Museum of Natural History nearly a year ago, Larry knows that his time as night guard is over. He now spends his time working as a fifth grade teacher. But when he hears on the news that the sand in Egypt is turning black, he decides it's time to ask Ahkmenrah if he knows anything about it. Now, Larry, his old museum friends and Ahkmenrah's family have to head to Egypt before an ancient enemy can rise again.





	1. Chapter 1

New York City was known for a lot of things: Coney Island, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, pizza,-

“Come _on!_ It’s a green light, moron!”

...And traffic. Lots and lots of city traffic.

Larry Daley slammed his car horn for what felt like the thousandth time. “Move it! What are you waiting for?!” A cacophony of other horns blared behind him. Larry rolled down his window and yelled to the driver in front of him. “Learn how to drive, granny! Green means _go!”_

The driver poked his head out of the car. Larry’s anger melted into pure adult fear in less than two seconds. The other man’s face was _covered_ in tattoos, a few of which were clearly human skulls. His eyes were bright and almost glowed. His hair was disheveled and matted. Frankly, he looked like a maximum-security convict mixed with a very ugly gorilla.

“Hey man,” the driver said in a deep, gravelly voice. “That’s really uncalled for.”

“...Uh...sorry...”

“There's no need to be like that, you know. I was on the phone with my daughter. She’s gettin’ a _divorce_. ‘Scuse me if I didn’t see the light change.”

“Yeah, no, I get it,” Larry said quickly, trying to get out of the situation alive. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Thank you. Apology accepted. You have a nice day.”

The two men stuck their heads back into their cars and a moment later, Larry was back on his way. He took a deep breath, his hand tapping anxiously on the wheel. It had been a rotten day and all he wanted to do was order a pizza and sit on the couch with the TV. _Which I can’t do,_ he thought, _because I have a ton of papers to grade before Friday._

He’d been a teacher for a few years now at the Ella Baker School in Manhattan. He _loved_ his career, and his fifth-grade class was really great...most days. But this day had not been “most days”. _This_ day had been full of one kid punching another at recess, one teacher who thought he wasn’t doing a good job, two other children who decided to draw on the bathroom walls, and an entire stack of homework that needed to be graded on the passenger seat.

Scratch that. Make than on the floor _under_ the passenger seat. Larry had braked hard to let an inattentive biker go by, causing the mountain of paper to topple. “Oh, come _on._ Can this day get any worse?!”

In that moment, pigeon poop splattered onto his windshield

He gripped the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles turned white as he held in a scream. Furious, he drove a little above the speed limit and turned down another road. It took him a minute for him to realize he wasn’t supposed to turn yet. Grinding his teeth, he was about to turn around, but paused.

_...I’m really close,_ Larry thought. _I guess...I guess I could just go look at it. For old times’ sake. It might make today a little better._ He took a deep breath and continued down the street. _I’m not going inside. I’m just sit in the car and try to relax for a minute._

In no time at all, Larry pulled to the side of the road and parked the car. Outside his window stood a tall, white building with four long pillars on top of the staircase. At the top of edifice were three words etched into the walls: TRUTH, VISION, and the main one, KNOWLEDGE.

The Museum of Natural History.

He sighed. It had been years since he’d stepped foot into the building. He hadn’t gone in since he’d quit the last time. Larry had thought about it at times, of course. But he knew he couldn’t do that. There would be a different night guard in his place. It was hard not to go inside sometimes, especially since Ahkmenrah and his Tablet had returned around a year ago. But he knew his days at the night guard were...well, history. The museum had changed him, taught him a lot of lessons. And Larry liked to think he did the same for the exhibits who lived there. But now, they had parted ways and moved on.

He leaned on his door, reminiscing, the horrors of the day beginning to leave. He could almost hear Rexy’s triumphant roar as he chased after a small, speeding car, Jedediah at the wheel. He thought about Teddy and wondered how he was fairing with Sacagawea. Larry even found himself laugh a little, remembering loud-mouthed Easter Island head and his obsession with “gum gum”. And just like that, his bad day melted away. All he could think about was how many good times he had in that museum.

_I wonder,_ Larry thought as he pulled into his apartment parking lot. _If they think about me as much as I think about them?_

* * *

 The first thing he always noticed was his breathing. Or rather the fact that he was _able_ to breath. He could feel his chest slowly move up and down as his lungs filled with air. Which there honestly wasn’t much of in the small space.

Ahkmenrah opened his eyes. All around him was complete and total darkness. His breathing started to quicken as fear consumed his mind again. _It’s going to work,_ he told himself. _Stop panicking. It’s worked every time since Larry and Nick released you that night. Just open it up and get out. It’s as simple as that._

He reached out into the black, his hands shaking a little. They pressed against the cold, smooth sarcophagus lid and the young pharaoh started to lift it. His mind couldn’t help but remembered all those years when he would try to open it, and nothing would happen. All the years where he was locked up, screaming, banging his head on the lid to no avail. Even though so much time had passed, part of him was always afraid it would happen again.

The lid started to budge, and he saw light peek through the small crack. Ahkmenrah couldn’t help but sigh with relief as he pushed it off. It clattered to the floor with a loud bang as he sat up. On the walls were hieroglyphics of jackals or images of Ra, one of the Egyptian Gods. Climbing out of the sarcophagus he gave a little smile to the two twenty-foot jackal guards looking at him. _“Everything is alright,”_ he told them in Egyptian. _“No need to worry.”_ They nodded solemnly and returned to their posts.

A thunderous roar echoed through the museum, making the pharaoh jump a little. _I really should be used to Rexy by now,_ he thought. _Sounds like everyone else is up._ The nightly party will probably begin momentarily. He walked out of his exhibit and towards the Hall of African Mammals, as he did almost every night. When he got to the staircase, a voice made him pause.

“Pharaoh,” Dr. McPhee said loudly, marching towards him. He had bags under his eyes and slightly disheveled hair. “Can I speak with you?”

“Of course, Doctor,” Ahk told him respectfully. “How can I be of assistance?”

“I’m assuming you’re headed to the Hall of Mammals?” Now that the shorter man was in front of him, the young pharaoh thought he could use a shower. He nodded in agreement. “Well, allow me to save you the trip and let you know your little monkey friend already ran off somewhere,” the curator told him. “But, please do me a favor. When you see him, tell him he owes me a new jacket.” McPhee pointed to a dark stain on his chest that looked very recent.

 Ahkmenrah cringed a little. _Dexter..._ “I’m very sorry about that. I’ll make sure to address it.” _Again._

“You’re the only one he seems to listen to. Can’t you train him or something?”

It was true, Dexter and Ahkmenrah had formed a strong bond. Ever since he’d been released from his tomb, he and the capuchin had gotten along very well. He’d always had a fondness for animals, and Dexter….well, no one really knew why, but he’d always been very nice to the pharaoh. Almost every night, he would ride around on Ahk’s shoulder like a pet parrot. “I’ll see what I can do. Again, I’m very sorry about that. Perhaps some warm water would take the stain out?”

McPhee seemed to consider the suggestion for a second. “I’ll try it. At the very least, it might do something for the smell.” He wrinkled his nose. “Thank you, Pharaoh.”

“Is there anything else I can do for you? You look very tired.”

McPhee rubbed the side of his forehead. “Believe me, I passed ‘tired’ a long time ago. It’s killing me having to work both the day shift _and_ the night shift. I’m still not having any luck finding a replacement for your...what was it you called him? Protector of Brooklyn?”

Ahk laughed a little. “‘Guardian’, actually.”

“Right, right. My God, if I knew how hard all of this was to run, I would’ve let up on him. You would think I’d get better at it after almost a year now.”

“You’re doing just fine, I assure you.”

“The dinosaur keeps knocking into things with its tail, the monkey pees on me, the lions tried to _eat me_ the other day, and I swear, if that crazy cowboy crashes another remote control car, I’m going to just, just, I don’t know what I’ll do, do you know what I mean?” he asked in his British accent.

Ahkmenrah nodded, though he honestly had _no idea_ what he man had been trying to tell him. “Perhaps I’ll have a chat with Jedediah after I find Dexter.”

“Could you? That’d be a great help. I swear, if I can’t find a new night guard soon, I’m going to lose my mind.”

“I’m sure someone will come along, Doctor,” he assured. “Have a nice night.”

“The same to you, Pharaoh.” The two started to part ways, but something in Ahkmenrah’s mind was nagging at him. He gave in and turned back around. “Doctor McPhee?” The man looked over his shoulder. “When you find a night guard...you’ll make sure they won’t...I mean, I’m not going to…”

Even though he couldn’t finish the sentence, McPhee seemed to understand. He turned to face the pharaoh again, his expression softening. “Of course not. No one's locking you up again, I’ll make sure of it. You don’t have to worry about that.”

Ahkmenrah smiled and gave him a nod before leaving once again. _Of course, I don’t have to worry,_ he told himself. _Even if someone did try to do that again, I’m sure Teddy or someone would let me out._ He knew that was true. They’d all promised long ago that they’d never let that happen to him again.

And yet every night he could never fight the fear that the lid to his sarcophagus wouldn’t open.

The young man wandered around the museum, now knowing that Dexter wasn’t in the Hall of African Mammals. _He just can’t stop causing trouble, can he? The poor Doctor has enough to worry about without him causing mischief. We really need a new night guard around here. But I suppose the Tablet does make it rather hard to find someone to fill the position. How many people in New York are qualified to watch over a living history museum?_

His thoughts were interrupted by the high-pitched sound. Sure enough, Ahkmenrah spied a small, black car racing down the hall. _Jed._ He quickened his pace and stuck his foot in front of the car’s path, forcing it to stop.

“Whoa, whoa,” the miniature cowboy said, looking up at him. “What gives, Ahk?”

The pharaoh arched a brow. “You know very well ‘what gives’, Jedediah. You are becoming quite a hectic driver. Really, how many of these have you crashed in just this month alone?” He got down on his knees to hear him better. That, and he knew Jedediah didn’t enjoy being “talked down” to.

“Two, at most.”

“Liar, liar,” began Octavius the Roman General from the passenger seat. His helmet was sitting in his lap since he wouldn’t be able to fit in the car with it on. “You’ve destroyed four and you know it.”

“Nu-uh!” the cowboy defended. “The one that got crushed by the mammoth don’t count. And who’s side ‘re you on?”

“The factual one,” Octavius told him. “And I wasn’t counting that one. Even without it, you wrecked four cars: the red one, the yellow one, the blue one, and then the striped one last week.”

“...Oh yeah. I liked that one,” Jed muttered. He looked back to Ahkmenrah. “Well, it ain’t all my fault. Lotta things in the museum ‘re bigger than these cars. They break real quick.”

“I’ll admit, they are rather fragile,” Ahk said. “But you cannot deny that you’re a bit of a speed demon. You cannot blame all four cars on their size.”

“...A’right,” Jed rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe I been goin’...a lil’ crazy.”

“A little?” Octavius asked.

“Hey, back off, Octy. You can’t even drive.”

“I could if you let me. It can’t be that hard.”

Ahkmenrah cleared his throat to regain their attention again. “All I’m asking is that you be a bit more careful. Doctor McPhee has enough to worry about and frankly, asking him for a new car every other week is not helping.”

“Yeah.” Jed frowned a little. “Things seemed to go a helluva lot smoother when Gigantor was her, huh, Ahk?”

His mind went back to the years Larry Daley was night guard. “Yes, they did, didn't they? The poor Doctor’s stretching himself too thin doing both shifts. But it’s very hard to find someone to take a job like this, it seems.”

“Indeed,” Octavius chimed. “Not everyone can be trusted with the secret of your Tablet.”

“...Well...try to be a bit more cautious, alright, Jedediah?” Ahk asked. “I’m a bit worried Doctor McPhee is nearing the end of his rope with you.”

“No worries, Ahk. I’ll take it slower.”

“Thank you. Oh, and you haven’t seen Dexter around, have you? He urinated on McPhee’s jacket this evening.”

“Yeah, actually. Jus’ a lil’ bit ago by the cavemen. Not sure if he’s still there, but you could try it.”

“Thank you again. You two have a nice night.”

“Anytime, amigo.”

“And a good evening to you as well, my liege.”

The two miniatures drove off, noticeably slower this time, and Ahkmenrah made his way to the caveman exhibit. He could hear their eager chants and stomping feet from down the hallway. _Oh Ra, I hope they didn’t figure out how to make fire. That would be disastrous!_ He jogged over to the exhibit, worried about what he might find. Two of the Neanderthals were hopping around, making loud, “Oooh, ooh, ooh!” noises. The third one, who Ahkmenrah recognized as Laa, was making... _Shadow puppets?_

Yes, he realized. Laa was making shadow puppets on the wall of his exhibit, thanks to the lighting in the room. No fire, no chaos, just three easily entertained cavemen and...a capuchin!

Ahkmenrah saw him on Laa’s back, looking for bugs in his hair. “Dexter,” he called. “Come here.”

The small mammal looked at him and gave a toothy smile. He jumped off of Laa - who was too busy making a shadow bunny to notice the pharaoh or the monkey - and scampered over to him. He skillfully crawled up onto his shoulder as he did nearly every night. “I’ve been looking for you,” he said, walking away from the cavemen. “And I heard you already had a very eventful evening.” Ahk glanced at the animal, who made a sad sound and looked to the floor. “You’re making things rather hard for Doctor McPhee, you know. The man has enough to worry about. He does not require a cleaning bill on top of it.”

Dexter looked back at him and made small chattering sounds.

“Yes, yes, I’m sure you’re very sorry. Why can’t you just be a good little monkey? You always behave for me. Can’t you do the same for Doctor McPhee? Or at least do your business somewhere else? Perhaps in a potted plant?”

Dexter was quiet before nodding a little. Or at least Ahkmenrah took it that way. He wasn’t totally sure Dexter could understand him, but he certainly acted like he did. “Very good. No more peeing on McPhee, or you might find yourself locked up for the night. Understood?” More monkey chatter. “Good.”

They walked along for a while, Ahkmenrah talking to the capuchin about whatever came into his mind. The nice thing about having friends that couldn’t add to the conversation was that they were very good listeners.

“Good evening, Ahkmenrah,” called a female voice. He looked over to see a woman in a bright colored tribal dress with dark, braided hair resting over her shoulders.

“Good evening to you as well, Sacagawea.” He smiled. “Are you not going to join in tonight’s festivity?” He could hear the loud music blaring from down the stairs. _If memory serves, Columbus should be DJing tonight._

“No, I’ve been looking for Teddy,” she explained. “Would you and Dexter care to join me?”

“Why not?” They began to walk side by side. “You know, he’s probably looking for you as well.”

“Yes,” she agreed with a laugh. “Perhaps we should just pick a spot to meet up every night rather than walking around aimlessly until we find each other.”

“That might work. Dexter, leave her braids alone. That’s no way to behave around a lady.”

They searched for Teddy Roosevelt together, making small talk along the way. Over the years, the two had discovered they had a lot in common. For example, both of them were unreasonably contained before Larry had freed them. Ahkmenrah was in his sarcophagus and Sacagawea was trapped behind sound-proof glass with only the bickering Lewis and Clark for company. Also, both of them had long names that people had trouble speaking and spelling. Sacagawea had always very been very kind to the young pharaoh and was always very easy to talk to. He considered her one of his closest friends, along with Dexter, Teddy, Jed and Octavius, and Rexy. Maybe even Attila to some extent.

Larry and his son Nick were on that list as well at one point. But he hadn’t seen either of them since they had allowed him to stay in London with his family. That had been nearly four years ago. He’d stayed in London for three years with his parents and Sir Lancelot, but after a while, he realized he missed New York. That was when Tilly the British night guard had arranged from himself and the Tablet to be brought back to the city, and...well, here he was.      

None of them knew what happened to Larry, but Ahkmenrah and the exhibits hoped that whatever he was doing now, wherever life had taken him, he was happy. As for Nick...Ahkmenrah missed him very much, actually. He had become very close with the young boy over the years and he almost felt like an older brother to him.

They were back on the lower lever of the museum now, having used the elevator this time. A few of the exhibits had figured out how to use it. “So,” Sacagawea continued. “Lewis told Clark that if that was the way he felt, he could-”

“Hey Dum Dum!” shouted the Easter Island Head, a wad of pink gum between his lips. Ahkmenrah and Sacagawea looked at him, “Oh, sorry. _Pharaoh_ Dum Dum. President Dum Dum tell me to say that if me saw you Dum Dums to say he was by the Hall of Miniatures.”

“Oh,” he said. “Well, thank you.” _I’m not sure if I should take being called “Pharaoh Dum Dum_ ” _as an insult or just a very strange nickname._ He decided to let it go as they started walking again towards the Hall. “What were you saying?”

“...I’m not sure,” Sacagawea admitted. “Lewis and Clark argue so much, I don’t remember which one I was telling you about.”

As they approached the entrance to the Hall, they saw Teddy Roosevelt petting his large, brown horse, Texas. “There you are, my dear,” he greeted Sacagawea. “I knew that loud-mouthed Easter Island Head would get the message across. You know, perhaps we should just have a set meeting place.”

“I was just thinking that on the way. Why not right here?”

“Works for me.” Teddy grinned. He finally turned to the other two. “Hello, Ahkmenrah, Dexter. I heard someone peed on Doctor McPhee.”

“Yes, we had a chat about that.” The pharaoh eyed Dexter again.

“Well, other than that, what’ve you been up to?”

“Not much. I had a little conversation with Jed about his car crashing habit...I meant little as in it was short, not as in Jedediah is small.”

Teddy laughed a little. “Yes, I noticed he’s been doing that often. It would be a different story if we made him come up with the money for a replacement.”

For the rest of the night, the three of them - plus Dexter and Texas - sat on the floor, Sacagawea leaning on Teddy’s shoulder, and talked together. These were the moments Ahkmenrah loved the most. The times where he found himself surrounded by his friends, laughing and sharing stories. In times like this, everything just felt so peaceful.

He wished it could last forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thanks for reading! I hope I've got you hooked because this is going to be quite an adventure if you stick with me. I don't know how I got into this fandom, but I promise I am not leaving any time soon. I hope you enjoyed the first bit here and, as always, any Kudos or comments are very much appreciated. Thanks again!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God thank you all SO MUCH for all the kudos and comments! Never in my wildest dreams did I expect such a positive, fast response to this story, especially so early in the story. It makes me so happy, thank you from the bottom of my heart. And now, the next chapter!

“Have a nice day, sir,” said the overly friendly Starbucks woman. Larry gave her a halfhearted grin and drove out of the drive thru. His eyelids were heavy, and he was struggling to put two thoughts together. By the time he’d finally stopped grading papers, the sun was peeking through the curtains in his apartment. As usual, his alarm woke him up too soon.

The morning dragged on as Larry explained division to his class. _They’re behaving a lot better today,_ he realized. _Maybe they’re as tired as I am._ Finally, it was one of the best parts of the day: lunch. Larry sat back down behind his admittedly cluttered desk and grabbed the blue bag from under it. He set out his turkey sandwich and bag of Fritos, then grabbed his cell phone. Larry leaned back in the chair as it started to ring, once, twice, three times-

_“Hello?”_

“Hey, Nick.” He smiled. “Just making sure we’re still on for later.”

_“...Uh...what?”_

His face fell a little. Larry had been looking forward to seeing his son all week. With his job and Nick having moved out, the two didn't get many chances to see each other. To say he wasn’t a little sad that he forgot would be a total lie. “Dinner. You’re still coming over tonight, right?”

_“Oh, yeah, yeah! Um...aww crap…”_

“Is something wrong?” he asked. “Look, Nick, if you made other plans, it’s ok-”

_“No, no, I’m still coming. Don’t worry. Just uh...what time did you want me there again?”_

“Well I don’t get home till around three thirty so four thirty would give me time to cook.”

_“Four thirty...yeah, okay. Okay, that’s fine. Right, I’ll see you then.”_

A feeling was rising up inside of his stomach. A feeling all fathers knew well. _He’s not telling me something._ “Are you sure you’re okay? You sound really jumpy.”

_“No, I’m fine. Really, it’s all good, Dad.”_

He decided not to press. “Okay. Guess I’ll see you later, man.”

_“Yeah, a’right. I’ll see ya.”_

“Love you.”

_“Hmm? Oh, yeah, love you, too, Dad.”_

And within the next second, his son had hung up.

_That was...weird,_ Larry thought as he set down his phone. _Why was he so panicky all of a sudden? Did he just feel bad ‘cause he forgot he was coming over? He_ really _wanted to get off the phone. And he was hesitating a lot._ He took a bite of his sandwich. Some of the mustard smeared on his cheek. _Guess I’ll just see what’s going on when he comes by._

* * *

Larry yawned for what must’ve been the twenty-thousandth time as he finally pulled into the parking lot in front of his apartment building. _Why did I plan lasagna That’s gonna take forever. Why didn’t I suggest going out somewhere or just calling in some pizza?_ But deep down, he knew it would be worth it when Nick saw he’d made his favorite food. Larry saw his son so little now, he wanted to do that for him.

He shut the car door but froze for a minute. A few parking spots away was a gleaming, brand-new looking motorcycle. _Aww, great. If they ride that around all night, I swear...God, I’m starting to sound like a grouchy old man. I really need some sleep._ He glanced at the watch. It was quarter to four. The ever-present traffic had once again succeeded in making him late. _I really gotta get going on dinner. Nick’s gonna be-_

His train of thought came to a screeching halt as he opened the door to the hall. A boy who looked to be in his early twenties was leaning against the wall on his cell phone. He was dressed in a dark blue hoodie, torn jeans, and sneakers. His hair was short and dark brown. “...Nick?” Larry asked.

He looked up from the phone and quickly put it in his back pocket. “Hey, Dad.” Nick walked over to him and Larry found himself in a hug. “Good to see you. It’s been a while.”

“Yeah, I know, it’s crazy,” he mumbled. They broke apart and he gave the boy a confused look. “Why are you so early?”

Nick gave him the same look. “...Early? I, uh, I thought you said be here at three thirty.”

“No, I said I get home at three thirty. That's why I told you to come an hour after that so I could have dinner ready when you showed up.”

“...Oh. Oops.”

Again, that feeling rose up in Larry’s stomach. _What’s going on with him? We’re gonna have to talk over the lasagna, something’s definitely up._

“Well, I’m here now.” Nick shrugged. “Can I help with dinner?”

“Uh...yeah, I guess.” He unlocked the door to apartment 112 and walked inside. “Sorry, I was gonna clean up, but you know, that didn’t happen.”

“No, it’s fine. Looks a lot better than my place, trust me,” Nick admitted, following him into the small kitchen.

“Yeah, how’s that going? Living on your own?”

“Pretty good. The landlord’s kinda a pain, but what can you do, y’know?”

“Alright,” Larry glanced down at the recipe, “if you wanna get out the ricotta and mozzarella, we can get this started.”

“What are we making?”

He fumbled around in a cabinet and grabbed a saucepan. “Well it was gonna be a surprise, but it’s lasagna.”

“Aw, awesome! You didn’t have to do that.”

“Sure I did.” He grinned. “I barely see you now.”

“Yeah,  it’s just getting hard to find time. But I got it all handled.”

“No, I know you have a lot going on with work and all. It’s not easy to juggle everything. Hey, how is work?”

His son looked toward the counter.

“...Nick? Is there...something going on or...?”

“Yeah, umm...about the work...I uh...I don’t actually...do that...anymore.”

Larry froze, the egg in his hand almost slipping. “What?”

“Yeah, I uh...got fired, actually. Like a week or two ago.”

“What do you mean, fired? What happened?” He stopped everything to look at his son straight on. “You told me everything was going okay.”

“Well my boss let me go because he thought I was comin’ in late too often.”

 “Well, were you?”

“No, he was a jerk, okay? He was just exaggerating so he’d have a reason to get me outta there.”

“...Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I figured it wasn’t a big deal. I thought I would’ve found another one by now and it wouldn’t matter.”

“Nick, being unemployed kinda qualifies as a big deal. You have _rent_ that’s gonna be due, I mean-”

“I’m gonna find one soon, okay?” Nick snapped. “Look, can we just make this thing? I’ll tell you over dinner if you really have to know.”

Larry decided to stop and wait until the lasagna was cooking. They both got back to work as Larry started to stir the cheese and eggs together in a bowl. He tried to think of anything to change the subject. “Hey, uh...you see that bike when you came?”

“Uh, no. Must’ve pulled up after I got in here.”

“Looks almost new. I wonder if that guy down the hall got it. You know, the one that’s balding? I don’t know, everything about him just says ‘midlife crisis’ to me.” He laughed a little, but for some reason, Nick didn’t. He was focused on browning the meat on the stove it seemed. Just the pale look on his face made Larry’s paternal instincts go crazy. His stomach flipped. But he had no idea why.

He went back to stirring the bowl. Slowly, just like the ingredients, the thoughts in his mind started to come together. Why Nick was so early, when he’d clearly said to come at four thirty…

He set the spoon down but didn’t look at Nick. “...It’s yours...isn’t it?”

“Is, uh, is what-”

“Nick, don’t lie,” Larry told him flatly, turning towards him. “The motorcycle. You bought it.” It wasn’t said as a question anymore.

After a moment, Nick’s eyed fell to the floor. “Yeah.”

“That’s why you showed up early, and why you were so squirrely on the phone. You didn’t want me to see you ride up on it, so you got here before I did.”

“...Yeah.” Apparently, that was all he could say.

“Nick, why didn’t you just tell me instead of...wait...did you buy it before you got fired? Or after?”

That didn’t get any kind of answer at all.

Larry’s eyes widened. “Nick, what are you thinking?! You can’t buy something like that after you lose your job. Do you even have a license for that thing?”

“Of course, I do, Dad, _God,”_ Nick shouted, his head snapping up. “This is why I didn’t want you to know! I knew you wouldn't get it.”

“Get what? I’m not understanding why you would do something like this! I mean, you, you’ve got no income, rent to pay, school to take care of, and you spend thousands of dollars on a bike!”

“Look, Alexa likes motorcycles and-”

_“Alexa?_ Jesus, Nick, you can’t be telling me you did this just because of your girlfriend.”

“I’m gonna get another job, alright?!”

“What the _hell_ are you thinking? You think your girlfriend will think you look cool on your motorcycle? How cool are you gonna look when you get evicted?!”

“That’s not gonna happen! I’ll get another job!”

“You’re not thinking things through, Nick. My God, I really thought you were more responsible than this. What do you think you’re even doing?!”

“I'm an _adult._ If I wanna use _my_ money to buy a motorcycle to impress _my_ girlfriend, then I'm gonna do it!”

“You may be an adult, Nicholas, but you're acting like a _child!”_

“You keep t _reating me_ like one! You always call and make sure I’m doing this and that, like you don’t trust me! Well you know what?” Nick stuffed his hands into his pockets and started to walk out of the kitchen. “I'm twenty-two and I don't need you to stand her and read me list of everything I'm messing up on.” He watched his son grab his keys and head for the door.

“Nick-”

The door slammed shut, nearly causing a photo on the wall to fall. Larry stood there for a minute as he listened to a motorcycle get farther and farther away. He then stomped back into the kitchen and looked around. The beef was burned and totally inedible by now. _Of course!_ he fumed. It went straight into the garage along with the mixture in the bowl. _So much for a nice dinner with my responsible, mature son. All he turned into was an irresponsible kid who is officially too big for his britches._

He let out an exhausted sigh, wiped down the rest of the kitchen, and then picked up the phone. “Hi, Bleecker Street Pizza? I need to place an order for delivery.”

About thirty minutes later, Larry was sitting on his couch with a few pieces of pepperoni and mushroom, watching the news. An overly peppy news lady with clearly fake blonde hair was giving a report. _“Thankfully, the shih-tzu recovered quickly after being rescued from the fire.”_

He wasn't really watching it at all though. All he could do was sit there and think. No matter what, his mind kept going back to Nick. _One second, I think everything's going great with him, and the next he’s storming out of my apartment. I can’t believe he bought a_ motorcycle _just to impress his_ girlfriend. _I mean, yeah, every guy does something stupid for a girl, but...that’s thousands of dollars! And after he just lost his job! “My boss exaggerated.” I can’t believe I fell for that. With the way he acted, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was late to work a lot._

_What the heck happened to him? He’s always been so down to Earth, what is he thinking? Since he was a kid, he always had his priorities straight. I just...I don’t get it._

_“Meanwhile, in the Mediterranean,”_ the news lady continued. _“It appears that some of the desert sand in Egypt is turning_ black.”

Larry plummeted back into reality. _What?_

_“And according to this, it seems to be spreading.”_ A few photos showed a small pool of sand that was as black as shined church shoes. It grew larger and larger with each new picture. _“No one knows exactly why this is happening at the moment, but the most popular theory is global warming.”_

He almost choked on a bite of pizza. _Global warming? That’s like, polar ice caps melting, not hot, desert sand changing colors. That doesn’t make sense at all._ The news woman went into another story about traffic violations going up since last year, but Larry had again, totally blocked her out. Something just wasn’t sitting right with him.

_That doesn’t sound...normal. Something's going on. But apparently no one knows what it is._

_I wonder if maybe...Ahkmenrah..._

Over the years, Larry had thought of many excuses to go to the Museum of Natural History, but this one was different. This one, he was going to act on. 

* * *

 “Put me down!” Jedediah shouted, kicking his boots. “I don’t like to be manhandled!”

McPhee was holding the small cowboy by the back of his shirt. He didn’t look pleased at all. “Can you honestly not go one night without causing chaos? Just _one?”_

“Aw, quit exaggeratin’! It wasn’t that bad.”

“You got the tyrannosaurus to chase around your car, causing him to almost damage _several_ valuable artifacts!”

Jed rolled his eyes. “So the big guy got a little excited. He wouldn’t be so crazy if yeh’d _play_ with him from time to time. He’s lonely!”

“This is not about the dinosaur; this is about _you_ and your insistence on making my job difficult.” McPhee placed him back in the Western Diorama. The sand crunched under Jed’s black boots. “It must be at least every other night I’ve got to talk to you about these things.”

Jed crinkled his nose. _I_ hate _bein’ talked down to like this. Darned McPhee’s just gotta ruin everything._

“If it’s not busting up a remote-control car, it’s you and your little Roman accomplice causing some kind of nuisance.”

“It’s called _fun,_ McPhee,” he told him sharply. He crossed his arms across his chest. “If you’d learn how to have some of it, we wouldn’t have ta do this all the time.”

“For your information, I have fun quite often,” McPhee nagged, copying Jed’s pose. “When I can, I play a game of solitaire in the office, sometimes I watch _Dancing with the Sta-_ th-that’s not the point! If you were not seemingly _hell bent_ on breaking my museum, this wouldn’t happen!”

Jedediah stuck his tongue out at the man, maturely.

McPhee’s face was turning pink. “You are honestly the most _insufferable_ little pain in this entire museum! I’m at the end of my rope! I’m _this close_ to just, just, I _swear,_ I’m going to-” The curator finally stomped one of his feet and pointed a furious finger at him. “You are to stay here for the rest of the night. And I’m taking _this-”_ He waved the small, black car in his other hand, mockingly. “And locking it in the office for the rest of the week.”

“Have fun walkin’ there with that stick up yer keister!” the cowboy shouted. But McPhee was already walking out of the Hall of Miniatures.

Jed sighed and sat on the edge of his diorama. _Damn McPhee. I wasn’t try’na bust anything. I was just helping Rexy get some exercise. Wouldn’t have had to do it in the first place if he’d_ play _with the poor guy._ He sat there for a while, alone. Most of his men were enjoying the evening. One could hear a pin drop in the large room of silence.

“Hail, Jedediah!” called a familiar voice. He looked down and saw Octavius shouting up to him. “Throw down the rope! I wish to talk to you.”

Though he didn’t really feel like having company, Jed tossed down the long rope they used to get back to their spots at night. With minimum effort, the Roman climbed up and was soon sitting next to him. “I heard Doctor McPhee cut your night short. Would you care to explain?”

“I swear, Octy, he’s got it in for me,” Jed told him. “Everything I do makes him angry.”

“Well, what happened tonight?”

“I got the car and was runnin’ Rexy around. He got excited and that enormous tail o’ his almost busted up some vases ‘er somethin’.” He stared at his boots. “Wasn’t tryin’ ta cause trouble, just thought he’d wanna play a little.”

“Yes, Rexy had seemed a bit down lately, hasn’t he?”

“Cause McPhee won’t do nothin’ with him!” He’d finally turned and looked into his friend’s eyes. “Poor fella’s bored outta his mind. McPhee don’t care, though. He don’t care ‘bout any of us.”

“Now, hold on,” Octavius said firmly. “That isn’t true, and you know it isn’t. Yes, he is a stickler for rules and keeping things clean, but he cares about all the exhibits here. Even you, though you may not believe it.”

“Darn right, I don’t!” Jed told him a bit louder than he meant to. “McPhee can’t stand me! Why, I bet if I got stepped on by a mammoth ‘er somethin’, he’d just complain about the stain on the floor!”

“Jed…”

But he turned away and hugged his knees to his chest. Octavius sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve got to get back to the Empire. The sun’s nearly up. I’ll see you tomorrow, alright? Perhaps you can show me how to drive finally.”

“Can’t. McPhee’s got the car till the end of the week.”

“Really? Hmm.” Out of the corner of his eye, Jed saw him get to his feet. “Then we’ll find something else to do. Something that won’t give Doctor McPhee a migraine.”

“Sure. Like watchin’ paint dry.”

Another sigh. “Good morning, Jedediah. I shall see you later.”

He gave a slight nod and got up to get into his own spot dejectedly. _No matter what we do tomorrow, I’ll bet my hat I’ll end up back here before sunrise. McPhee’ll find something. Ol’ grouch just can’t stand me at all._


	3. Chapter 3

Larry heard the Bluetooth headset ringing in his ear as he turned out of the school parking lot. _Guess it’s a good thing I forgot to delete McPhee’s number,_ he thought. After a few rings, the curator finally picked up.

_“Hello?”_ he half-asked, half-yawned.

“Hey, Doctor McPhee, it’s Larry. You know, the old-”

_“Larry?”_ His voice suddenly perked up. _“Larry Daley?”_

“Uh, yeah…” He hadn’t expected McPhee to remember him, honestly. Or at least not sound so happy.

_“Oh, thank goodness! I was hoping this day would come! You have no idea how exhausted I’ve been working both shifts. I’ve interviewed person after person, but I can’t find one bloody applicant I feel I can trust with this secret.”_

For a moment, Larry forgot the reason he was calling. “Wait, really? You’re telling me you’ve been doing double duty since the Tablet’s been back?”

_“I was starting to get desperate, honestly. I practically live here now! But, say no more, Larry. You don’t have to beg. I will_ gladly _give you back the position of night guard.”_

His eyes widened. “What? Oh, no, no! That’s not...I mean, I’m not looking for a job, I’m actually a teacher now. I’m not calling to ask for...no…”

There was a long silence and he wondered if maybe the phone had cut out. 

_“Oh. My mistake, I thought you...well, anyway, what is_ the reason for this little chit chat, then?”

“Have you seen the news lately? The sand down in Egypt is turning _black.”_

_“Well, I haven’t been home a lot, like I said, but yes, I heard that somewhere. What does that have to do with me, though?”_

“I’ve got kind of a weird feeling about it. I think something else is up. I was wondering if maybe I could...come by later? I know you’re not supposed to let anyone in after hours, but kinda hopin’ I could just ask Ahkmenrah about this?”

_“...Well, given our history, I suppose I could let you in. You think he’ll know about it?”_

“I’m not sure, but I figure he’s the best shot, you know?”

_“This isn’t going to be one of those ‘save the world as we know it’ things, is it?”_

“I’m really hoping it’s not. Substitute teacher plans are a pain in the neck. I’m probably overreacting but I bet Ahk will be able to give me a better answer than ‘global warming’.”

_“Isn’t that the polar ice caps melting?”_

“Yeah. Guess that’s the best they have right now.”

He heard McPhee groan over the phone. _“Our brilliant scientists hard at work, it seems. Alright, I guess I’ll see you around sunset then.”_

“Thanks, McPhee. Sorry you're having trouble finding a replacement.”

_“Are you_ sure _you don't want your job back?”_

“Yes,” Larry said without hesitation. “I love being a teacher, I really do. I'm sure somebody will turn up to take the spot.”

McPhee sighed in his ear. _“Alright. Just thought I would ask again. I'll see you in a few hours.”_

“Thanks again, I really appreciate it.”

_“Oh, and Larry? I'm honestly not trying so sway your choice, but…they're going to be really happy to see you. Truly.”_

Larry smiled as he made another turn. “I've missed them, too.”

Before he knew it, hours had gone by. The sky was dark, and the city of New York was glowing in lights. Larry pulled up to the Museum and parked the car. With each step up the stairs he took, his excitement grew. He really couldn’t wait to see his old friends again, even if he wasn’t going to be nightguard anymore. 

Doctor McPhee stood at the door with an ugly polka-dotted tie on his suit. He opened the door and Larry stepped inside. “Nice to see you again,” the curator told him sincerely.

“Thanks, McPhee. How are things going tonight? It really sucks that you have to do both shifts.”

“Well, someone has to keep the place from burning down, right?” For a moment, he gave Larry a hint of a smile. Larry couldn’t remember many times that he saw the Doctor in a good mood, but tonight seemed to be an exception. “Everyone just woke up a few minutes ago, so at the moment, it’s alright. It would be nice if someone potty trained Dexter, though.”

Larry found himself laughing a little as he remembered all the times the capuchin had given him a rough night. He’d wanted to rip his hair out at the time, but now it was just a nice memory. “Yeah, I never got around to that when I was here, unfortunately. So how are you-”

He was cut off suddenly by an excited, thunderous roar. The floor began to shake underneath his feet as Rexy the tyrannosaurus charged towards him, happily. _Oh God._ Before he could make a move, Rexy wrapped his long, bony tail around him and tossed him into the air.

“Aaahhh! Rexy!” Larry suddenly felt a lot like a hacky sack. “Put me down!” He landed on the dinosaur’s snout and groaned. “Hi, Rex,” he mumbled. “I know, I missed you, too, buddy. But could you please put me back on the ground?”

Rexy wagged his tail and flipped the man once again, catching his shirt in his mouth. Slowly, Larry was lowered back to the floor with a pale-faced McPhee. “He’s just excited.” Larry smirked, petting Rexy’s head. 

“It seems so. Let’s hope the rest of the exhibits don’t give you such an animated greeting. We might need an ambulance.”

Larry gave a full smile and the two started to roam the halls in search of Ahkmenrah. Everyone they encountered seemed to remember Larry very well, even after his four-year absence. Everyone from the faceless Union soldiers who saluted him to Christopher Columbus who smiled at him with a nod.

“So, how’s teaching going?” Doctor McPhee prompted.

“Good, most days. I teach fifth graders at Ella Baker so, you know, sometimes they get a little out of hand. Most of the time though, it’s a really great job. The kids _love_ history.”

“I can only guess why. You must have a lot to say about it.” 

“Well, I owe it all to this place,” Larry explained, looking around the familiar halls. _Feels like I was here yesterday._ “What about you? Now that you know the big secret.”

“Believe me, it took some adjusting. Here I am thinking I run a calm, sophisticated museum, and the next thing I know, every night is a party. But you know, once you get to talking to the exhibits, they really do grow on you. To be honest, some of the people here are much nicer than the ones awake when the sun is out. Take the Pharaoh for example. Fifty years, he was sealed up in his sarcophagus, yet he doesn’t hold a single negative feeling towards anyone here. It’s astounding, really. He’s one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met.”

“Yeah, that’s Ahk for you. All the time I knew him, I don’t think I’ve ever heard him raise his voice. He’s always just been everyone's best friend. Guess it’s just his nature.”

“Yes…” McPhee seemed to ponder something for a moment. “You have to admit though, it’s a little strange. _Fifty years_ yelling for help in a box. Nobody released him but you. Yet he treats everyone here with nothing but respect after all of it.”

Larry had to admit, that was a little weird. _I guess he should’ve been at least a_ little _mad after we let him out. All of the others had heard him screaming, but no one let him out. If I had been in that position, I wouldn’t have just let it go like he seemed to._ He realized that even though he’d know the young pharaoh for years, Ahkmenrah was still a bit of a mystery.

But he couldn’t think on it anymore. The new sound of a horse’s hooves on the hard floor brought Larry back down to earth and a slow smile to his face.

“Doctor McPhee!” Teddy Roosevelt called. “There seems to be a bit of a situat... _Lawrence!”_ The man grinned widely under his mustache and quickly dismounted from Texas. “Good to see you, lad!”

He walked over and the old friends embraced in a tight hug. Teddy’s gloved hand clapped him on the back a few times before they let go. Of all of his friends, Teddy was the one he’d been most looking forward to seeing again. Since his first night at the museum, the wax president had helped Larry take control of the chaos. If it hadn’t been for him, Larry would have quit the most amazing job in the world within a week.

McPhee cleared his throat. “I don’t want to interrupt this little reunion, but what did you come here to tell me, Mr. Roosevelt?

“Hmm? Oh, yes. The soccer game between African tribe’s team and the Confederates got a little out of hand. Do you happen to know where the first aid kit might be?”

The curator cringed a little. “It’s in the office. I’ll get it. Where are they?”

“Sitting down on the bench by the Hall of Miniatures. It’s not severe, just some ice, perhaps.”

“Alright, thank you, Mr. Roosevelt. I assume you wouldn’t mind taking our guest through the rest of the museum?”

Larry caught a glance from the man’s bright eyes. “Not at all, Doctor. I hope you have a nice evening.”

“And you as well. Thank you.” 

They waited a moment until he had gone down another hall before Teddy turned to him again. “I must admit, I didn’t expect to see you again, son. To what do we owe this little visit?”

“Well, I heard something was going on down in Egypt, and I’m hoping Ahkmenrah can tell me about it.”

Teddy arched a brow over his small, round glasses. “What exactly happened?” His face got even more confused as Larry explained what he’d heard on the news. Yet his glowing expression returned almost instantly. “Well, we'd better start searching then.” Teddy motioned for him to follow and took Texas by the reigns. “I’m sure we’ll find our young pharaoh around here somewhere. Don’t believe he’s DJing tonight, which means he's probably with Dexter. I tell you, Lawrence, I've never seen a stronger bond between an animal and a man in my life. He's the only one in the whole museum who can get Dexter to listen. If we find our mischievous capuchin, I bet we'll find Ahkmenrah.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter, yes, but there really wasn't a better way to break this part up. The next part will be really important. Thanks again for all the reviews and kudos, it means so much!


	4. Chapter 4

Before he’d come to the museum, Ahkmenrah never truly appreciated the fact that he could speak Mongolian. Now, as he stood before the three large, hairy, angry looking men, he mentally thanked Ra that he’d studied it. 

Attila, the leader, was right in front of the young pharaoh. So close, he could feel the man breathing. His eyes were shining with fury. It had been quite some time since Ahkmenrah had seen the Hun like this, making him wonder just _what_ had him so angry. He cleared his throat and tried not to let his nervousness show when he spoke. _“Good evening, Attila. How are you-”_

_“Silence!”_ he shouted, accidentally spitting on Ahkmenrah a bit. He pointed to another Hun, who held Dexter up by the tail. _Oh no. What did he do_ now? _If I didn’t know better, I’d say Dexter’s trying to get me killed. ...Which can’t happen, since I’m a mummy, but I’d prefer not to have my limbs torn from my body if I can help it._

_“Your pet tried to steal from me!”_ Attila growled. 

Ahkmenrah swallowed hard. This wasn’t going to be easy. _“I see. Well, first, allow me to apologize on Dexter’s behal-”_ He was cut off as Attila held up a long, sharp blade mere inches from his nose. 

“This,” the bearded man snarled, “ _was what it tried to take. This sword was given to me by my father. It was the only gift he_ ever _gave to me_ . _And now your little monkey tries to steal it?!”_

Sweat started to pour down the back of Ahkmenrah’s neck. On his first-time meeting Attila, he learned that the Hun had, for lack of better words, “Daddy Issues”. _“I assure you,”_ Ahkmenrah said, trying not to panic. _“I will make sure it doesn’t happen again.”_

_“It had better not!”_ Again, more saliva. A moment passed and Ahkmenrah saw the man take a deep breath. His expression softened and the blade disappeared into the man’s belt. _“Pharaoh Ahkmenrah, my men and I consider you a good friend. You are kindhearted and have never done anyone in this museum wrong. We would never do anything to hurt you.”_

He gave a small sigh of relief.

_“But,”_ the Hun continued. _“If your monkey_ ever _tries to steal from myself or my men again, I promise you, we shall not hesitate to kill it. Do you understand?”_

_“...Well...in my opinion, violence really doesn't do much to solve things.”_ Attila’s brow furrowed quickly. _“But given the blade’s origins, I can understand that you feel that way.”_ Ahkmenrah smiled nervously. The other Hun handed Dexter to him. The capuchin instantly went onto his shoulder, unaware of the danger. _“I will ensure that Dexter never touches any of your belongings again. You have my word.”_

Attila eyed him for a moment, then backed up finally. _“Good. I am sorry the night had to begin this way, my friend. You know I still have an occasional temper.”_

_“It’s understandable. Now, if you'll excuse us, we’ll be on our way. Have a nice evening, Attila, and I truly am sorry for the trouble.”_

The Hun nodded and the two parties turned away from each other. Dexter chattered into his ear as Ahkmenrah started to walk down the hall, still shaken. _That could’ve been a_ lot _worse,_ he thought. He turned to the capuchin, who was still watching the Huns leave. Before he could take another step, Dexter made a loud sound, causing Attila to turn around. 

And before his eyes, Dexter blew a raspberry at the leader of the Huns.

Ahkmenrah’s breath caught in his throat. He looked over his shoulder and instantly regretted it. Attila whipped out his blade again in an instant. With a face as red as a tomato, he turned to his men and shouted, _“Kill it!”_

_Oh, Ra._

As the Huns started to yell and charge towards him, Ahkmenrah grabbed Dexter and broke into a run. His golden cape flowed behind him as he raced down the halls with no clue where he was going or what to do. The only thing he knew was that, as troublesome as he was, he _really_ didn’t want Dexter to get hurt. _Though if Attila doesn’t kill him,_ he thought, I _just might!_

He glanced back at the Huns, who seemed to be gaining on them, and ducked down another hall. _What am I going to do? I can’t outrun them for long! Dexter, I swear, you must have some sort of death wish! I just don’t see why you had to bring_ me _into it!_ He racked his brain for anyone who could help him. Teddy was the best option. He had a good head on his shoulders and could probably get Attila to call off his hunt. Or at least shield Ahkmenrah from him.

_He and Sacagawea decided to meet by the Hall of Miniatures!_ he remembered. _It’s the best chance I’ve got!_ Thankfully, Ahkmenrah was already on the first floor. _Just a few more turns and I’ll be there._ He looked behind him to see Attila’s furious face getting closer. _I just hope I can make it that far!_ Keeping his eyes on the Huns, he made another turn. Unfortunately, he ran right into someone and fell forward, his eyes automatically closing. The person crashed onto the floor with the pharaoh on top of him. 

When Ahkmenrah opened his eyes again, he was met with a familiar face and a pair of calming, blue eyes. “...Larry?”

A smile spread across the former night guard’s face. “Ahkmenrah!” 

The two quickly got to their feet and Ahk saw who was standing next to them with his horse. “Teddy!”

The sound of pounding boots and screaming filled the hall. Ahkmenrah remembered the coming peril and got behind the president. “Huns!”

Larry looked over. “Attila?” 

Ahkmenrah saw him look back in his direction. “Dexter!” he explained, pointing to said capuchin, who was still in his arms.

Larry’s eyes widened. “Dexter?...Dexter!” It was said more angrily than friendly.

“Lawrence,” Teddy began. He pointed to the oncoming Huns. 

“Attila!” Larry shouted. 

The Hun leader suddenly skidded to a halt causing the other men to stop as well. “...Larry?” he asked. The shock had apparently distracted the Hun from his mission, at least for the moment.

“Attila,” Larry began again. “What are you doing? Why are you chasing Ahk around the museum with your swords out?”

His face boiled with anger again and he pointed to the pharaoh. _“His pet tried to steal from me and then disrespected me to my face! I will not stand for this!”_

Larry turned to him with a very confused expression. To him, Attila had just spouted out a bunch of gibberish. Ahkmenrah, who was still hiding behind Teddy, tried to quickly explain the situation. “Dexter tried to steal Attila’s sword which was given to him by his father and they caught him so I tried to calm Attila down and it almost worked but then Dexter stuck his tongue out and made that _‘pbbbbbbt’_ sound at him so then they said they were going to kill Dexter so I took him and ran then they chased me and I ran into you and here we are so please _help!”_ He finally took a deep breath and exhaled.

Teddy looked over his shoulder at them. “Dexter,” he said sternly. The animal made a sad sound and covered his eyes. 

Ahkmenrah looked back at Larry, who sighed and turned back to Attila. “Alright. I know you're upset, and you have every right to be. But killing Dexter isn’t going to help anything. You can’t just do that to somebody because you’re mad. I know you know better.” He folded his hands across his chest and Attila looked at the floor. “I know the sword is important to you. So how about this? If Dexter ever tries to take something of yours again, you bring him to either McPhee, Ahkmenrah, or Teddy-”

“Unharmed,” Ahk added.

“Right. And Dexter will be locked in his Hall for the rest of that night _plus_ the one after. Does that sound fair?”

Attila let out an exhausted sigh and placed his blade back into his belt. He looked at Larry and nodded. “Good. Now why don’t you and your guys go cool down, okay?” Larry smiled. Attila wrapped his muscular arms around the man and Larry clapped him on the back a few times. “It’s okay. I know, I missed you, too.” 

The Hun nodded to Ahkmenrah apologetically and gave Dexter a final glare before walking away with his men in tow. Finally, the muscles in Ahk’s body relaxed. _Thank Isis that’s over. If Larry hadn’t been here, I’m not sure what would’ve -_ He did a double take. “Larry! Y-You’re here!”

“Yeah, and it’s a good thing, too,” he replied with a small smile. “I see Dexter hasn’t changed.”

Ahkmenrah narrowed his eyes and looked at the capuchin of the hour. “No, he hasn’t. And if he ever does something like that again, I’ll make sure he’s punished.” Dexter gave him a weak smile. “But what about you?” he asked Larry. “I didn’t expect to see you back.”

“Well, I’m here to see you, actually.”

His eyes widened a little bit. “Me?” A warm feeling bubbled up inside of him. Larry had been gone for years and now had come to see _him?_

“You see, something’s going on down in Egypt and I’m hoping you know what it was.”

The sensation left Ahkmenrah as quick as it came. “Egypt? What do you mean, what’s wrong?”

“Whoa, whoa, don’t panic,” Larry told him quickly. “I’m probably overreacting, but I just wanna be sure.”

“No need to cause yourself any more stress,” Teddy told him as he placed a hand on his shoulder. He was no longer acting as Ahk’s human shield. “You’ve already had a lot of excitement tonight.”

He had a point there. “Well, I’m not sure if I’ll know anything about it, but try me.”

“Some of the sand in the desert is turning black. And it looks like it's spreading now.”

Ahkmenrah arched a bow. “Black? Well, that’s...definitely strange. I’ve never heard of anything like that, unfortunately.”

Larry’s face fell a little and Ahk felt a little bad. Four years since he’d seen his friend, and now he couldn’t even help him. “Well, I’m sure they’ll figure it out.”

“I wonder though,” Ahk began, wanting so badly to be of assistance. “If perhaps my parents might know anything about it. After all, they were around a lot longer than I was.”

“Even if they did, there’s no way to reach them,” Teddy pointed out. “They’re back in Britain.”

Ahkmenrah frowned a little. _And without the Tablet, they’re not even alive...unless...the Tablet. Perhaps…_ “Larry, what do you call that thing you use to talk to people not around you again? The one you put by your ear?”

“A telephone. Most people just shorten it to ‘phone’ nowadays though. Why?”

“Well, I’m not certain...but perhaps the Tablet could bring them to life through it. It uses wires, does it not? The magic might be able to travel through them.”

His eyes widened. “Really?”

“It is worth a try, right?”

Larry smiled and Ahkmenrah went to get the Tablet from his exhibit. A few minutes later, he and Larry were standing by the black landline phone in the office. Larry had looked up the number for the British museum using his cell phone. _How many kinds of these “phones” are there?_ Ahkmenrah wondered. _And this entire “Google” thing is completely foreign to me._

Larry hit a few numbers on the phone and told him he was putting it on “speaker” so that they could both hear what they said. “Don’t say anything right away. We have to make sure it’s still Tilly working there. If it’s not, there’s no way we can do this.”

Ahkmenrah nodded almost jumped a bit as it started making a ringing sound. 

_“Hello, British Museum, this is Tilly,”_ she said in her strong English accent.

_Thank Ra, she’s still there._ He smiled.

“Hey, Tilly, it’s Larry Daley and Ahkmenrah,” Larry told her. “Do you remember m-”

_“Ahk? He’s there with you?”_

 

“Yes, Tilly, I’m here,” he told her. _It’s so strange speaking to her like this._

She gasped over the phone. _“Hi! Oh, it’s so nice to hear from you! Everything around here’s been so_ boring _since you left. We all really miss you, though. Well,_ I _do. Everyone else isn’t alive since you, you know, took the Tablet with you. But if they were, they’d miss you.”_

“Umm...thanks. I think about you all quite often.”

“Tilly,” Larry began. “We need you to do something for us.”

_“Sure, anything.”_

“Is there another landline in the room with Ahk’s parents in it?”

_“Ummm...yeah, I think so. Why?”_

“We’re hoping the Tablet’s magic will work through the phone lines,” he explained. “He needs to ask them something.”

_“Oh, umm, alright. Let me run inside and grab that one then. Hang on.”_ Tilly's voice was suddenly replaced with soft, slow hold music. They sat there for a minute, waiting patiently. _“Alright, I got it. Is the Tablet working?”_

Ahkmenrah set the slab of gold on the table and it glowed even brighter than before. Before their eyes, the phone in his hand did the same and the light traveled down the cord into the machine.

Tilly gasped again. _“Oh my God, it’s doing it! The lids to their sarcophaguses are opening! Is it sarcophaguses? Or sarcophagi? I’m not sure. Whatever, not important.”_ Her voice got a little farther away. _“Mr. and Mrs. Pharaoh! Your son needs to ask you something. He’s on the phone for you.”_ Another moment passed before they heard her again. _“Here, just hold this and talk into this part. There you go.”_

A new voice traveled over the lines. _“Ummm...hello? Ahkmenrah, are you there?”_

His face lit up as bright as the Tablet at the sound of the Queen’s voice. “Yes, Mother.”

_“Hello, Son!”_ his father yelled. _“How are you?”_

“I’m fine. I’m here with Larry Daley, the one who helped us restore the Tablet a few years ago.”

_“Oh, yes, I remember him,”_ the Queen said. _“Hello, Mr. Daley. Thank you again for helping our family.”_

“Don’t mention it,” Larry told her, smiling. “It’s the least I can do.”

As much as he wanted to catch up with his parents, Ahkmenrah knew there was a reason they’d called. “Mother, I was wondering if I could ask you and Father something.”

_“Of course,_ ” his dad said. _“Anything.”_

“Well, Larry’s just told me that some of the sand in Egypt is turning black and is now starting to spread. Nobody seems to know why.” Ahkmenrah waited for a moment for them to say something but only got silence. “Do um, you know anything about it by chance?”

A strange noise filled the other end and Ahkmenrah gave Larry a confused look.

_“Sorry,”_ Tilly’s voice had returned. _“She dropped the phone.”_

Tilly disappeared again and they got bits and pieces of his parents talking to each other. _“Calm yourself, dear...it doesn’t mean it’s_ him,” his father said.

_“Who else would it be? Merenkahre, I knew this would happen. I just knew it! We should’ve taken this more seriously!”_

“Who are they talking about?” Larry whispered.

“No idea. Mother, I am afraid we’re not understanding.”

The Queen’s voice had lost its soothing sound. It was quick and panicky. _“Sweetheart, this isn’t something we should tell you about over this...thing. We need you to come back to...where are we?”_

_“Britain,”_ Tilly explained.

“What?” Ahkmenrah’s stomach churned with nerves. Whatever was going on, it sounded serious. 

_“Get your friends together. I’m afraid that sand is a_ very _bad sign.”_

He could feel the color leave his face. “Mother, wait, what’s happening?”

_“We’ll explain everything to you when you get here. I’m sorry, Ahkmen, we should’ve told you about this, but...we never thought it would happen.”_

_Thought_ what _would happen?_

Larry leaned back over the phone. “We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

_“Good. Thank you, Mr. Daley, and I’m terribly sorry about this. Oh, wait!”_

“What?” they asked in unison.

_“Ahkmen...you aren’t going to like this, but...bring your brother.”_

If his eyes got any bigger, he would have looked like one of those old cartoon characters. _“What?!”_

“What?!” Merenkahre echoed. 

_“Ow, that was in my ear!_!” Queen Shepseheret told them. _“Look, I know neither of you get along with him-”_

“Get _along_ with him?” Ahkmenrah repeated. “He _hates_ me!”

_“Son, you know better than to interrupt your mother.”_

_“...As I was saying,”_ she continued. _“I know Kahmunrah can be… very difficult. But he's a part of this family. And this situation is going to affect all of us. Please, Ahkmenrah. I know you and your brother have a bad history, but this is much more serious than your boyish fighting. As your mother, I'm asking you to please bring him along.”_

He stood there for a moment with his mouth agape. Glancing at Larry, he saw that he was rubbing his head as if to ward off a migraine. Ahkmenrah sighed, knowing he could only give one answer. “Alright. I guess we'll go to Washington, pick him up, and then head to Britain.”

_“Alright, sweetheart, we'll see you then. We love you. Merenkahre, stop looking at me like that. You know we need Kahmunrah here. Goodbye, Son.”_

“Goodbye.”

_“... Wow. That got weird,”_ Tilly said. _“Guess I'll see you all soon then.”_

“Apparently,” Larry replied. “We'll be there as soon as possible. Now we have to stop in Washington first, but I'll get them there. Thanks, Tilly.”

_“No problem. It's a good thing we did this. Bye, Ahk! Good luck with your brother.”_

“Thank you,” he said meekly. “I'm afraid I'll need it.” Larry placed the phone back in its place, and it stopped glowing. 

_Well,_ the young pharaoh thought, _and_ _I thought after being chased by the Huns, there was no_ way _tonight could get worse._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the plot thickens! That's right, it's an Egyptian family reunion! What do we think? And as always, thank you for all the kudos and comments. :)


	5. Chapter 5

After riding around in a car almost every night, Jedediah had almost forgotten how _sucky_ it was to be a mere six inches tall. “I can’t believe this,” he whined. “We’re gonna spend all night just walking around.”

“Nonsense,” Octavius told him. “We’ll find something to do, I’m sure of it.”

“Octy, with our lil’ legs it’s gonna take us another hour to get down this hall.”

“Well perhaps we shall find someone who could give us a lift.”

Jedediah rolled his eyes at the Roman’s optimism. _Don’t know where we’d even go if we did. Ain’t nothing for people our size to do ‘round here without almost getting crushed. Damn, I really wish we still had that car._

“Listen!” Octavius said suddenly. “I hear Teddy.” That was one of the few advantages to their height: to their small ears, everyone else spoke so loud they could always hear them. “Maybe he will allow us to ride in his pocket and we could spend time with him and Sacagawea. That would be nice, wouldn’t it?”

Jed shrugged, still bitter about McPhee taking the car and yelling at him. They walked what felt like another mile to him and saw a few people standing near the office: Teddy, Dexter, Texas, Ahkmenrah and-

“Gigantor?” Jed’s eyes grew twice their original size at the sight of his old friend. “What’s he doin’ back here?”

“I don’t know. Be quiet for a minute and maybe they’ll explain it.”

They both waited by the corner and listened in on the conversation.

“Then his parents do know why the sand is turning a different color?” Teddy asked.

“Yeah.” Larry nodded. “But they said it’s too serious to tell him over the phone. They want him to come to Britain so they can explain.”

“Britain?” Jed echoed. “They must be talkin’ ‘bout Ahk’s family.”

“Yes, it seems so,” Octavius agreed.

“They said to bring friends, so this sounds like something very bad,” Ahkmenrah told the president. “I think you and Larry should be enough. If you’re up for it, of course. And if you want to bring Sacagawea.”

“Of course I’ll come along,” Teddy smiled. “You know that if you ever need help, I’m more than willing. As for Sacagawea, whatever this is sounds a bit too dangerous. I would feel a lot better if she remained here.”

“There’s one more thing,” Larry began. “Apparently, this situation involves the whole royal family, so...his mom wants us to bring Kahmunrah.”

“Oh dear,” Octavius said. “Now why in the world would they want to bring _him?_ And isn’t he still in the Underworld?”

Slowly, a smirk formed across Jed’s lips. “I think we just found a way to pass the time.”

He turned to look at Octavius only to see his face pale a little. “You aren’t really suggesting we got along, are you?”

“Why not? Ain’t like we got somethin’ better to do. ‘Sides, we’ve stowed away almost every time stuff like this has happened.”

“Yes, but this sounds much more _dangerous._ Don’t you recall what happened the last time we saw Kahmunrah? The _hourglass?”_

He had a point there. _I was dumpin’ sand outta my boots fer_ weeks _after that._ But the cowboy's adventurous heart won the battle over his head. “Yeah, but we got Gigantor with us this time. And I’ll have you there in case somethin’ happens.”

Octavius gave him a steady, somewhat concerned glare. “...There’s no way to talk you out of this, is there?”

“Prob’ly not. C’mon, Octy, you know you wanna go, too. We always go along!”

“Yes. And we always nearly get ourselves killed in the process.”

“Ya see, the keyword there is ‘nearly’. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“Do you want the full list or just the highlights?”

Jed brushed him off. A tiny, invisible light bulb appeared over his hat as an idea bubbled up. He smirked and placed a hand on the Roman’s cool, armor-covered shoulder. “Think of it this way: by the time we get back, McPhee’ll have to cough up the car. And when he does...I’ll show you how to drive it.”

Octavius’s face light up a little and his brown eyes became clearer. “Really?”

“Mmm hmm.” 

He seemed to consider this for a minute before finally allowing a small grin. “Alright, Jedediah, you win. We’ll go along.”

“Yeehaw! Saddle up, boy, we’re off!”

“How do I always let you talk me into these things?”

“You know you love me.”

* * *

Nick was sitting on the sofa in his messy apartment building. He pulled off the tie around his neck and carelessly threw it on the floor. _Just another successful job interview,_ he moped. Stretching over the arm of the couch, Nick grabbed his laptop and got onto _Indeed.com. There has to be_ something _I can do. If I don’t start getting a paycheck again soon, I’m gonna get backed up on rent. And I_ really _don’t wanna have to move back in with Mom._ He scrolled down the list of potential jobs. _Busy boy won’t pay enough plus it’s embarrassing. I’m not qualified to be a dog groomer. ...Guess I’ll have to try ‘Janitor’._ He didn’t like the thought of pushing around a mop and picking up after strangers, but desperation was starting to set in. 

After the application was sent, he replaced the laptop and he turned on the TV. An attractive young woman on the _Food Network. “Now, to make the best lasagna, the trick is to-”_

Nick clicked the channel off as fast as possible. Just the word ‘lasagna’ made him think of the other day with his father. _It wasn’t my fault,_ he told himself. _He treats me like a kid. Sure, the motorcycle wasn’t the best idea. But I’m an adult and I can make my own choices. He doesn’t need to just_ berate _me like that. He was totally crazy._

 _I’m not feeling_ guilty! He told himself. _I have no reason to be! I didn’t do anything. I said I was gonna get another job. Yeah, it’s taking longer than I thought it would, and there's no_ way _I can use my last job as a reference...Maybe I_ do _spend too much time with Alexa, and maybe I was late a few too many times, but...I don't know._ He slumped into the sofa and tried to put the thoughts out of his mind.

* * *

Larry wasn’t sure if he could ever face the school’s principal again. He’d had to call him early in the morning and explain that he couldn’t come in because of a “family emergency”. The principal said that was understandable and that they’d find a sub for his class. But then Larry had had to explain that he wasn’t really sure when he’d be able to come back to work. Finding a sub for a day was doable. Finding a sub for an unknown amount of time...

The sun was set to rise very soon. The one thing Larry enjoyed about having to get up so early was the lack of traffic on the roads. Just like the previous night, Doctor McPhee was waiting at the door when he pulled up.

 “Another call to adventure, it seems,” the curator said. 

“Yeah, guess it’s a good thing we called. Whatever this is, it doesn’t sound like a normal family meeting.” They walked down the hallway down to the Egyptian Exhibit. 

“So, how long do you suppose this will take?”

That caught him off guard a little. _I know McPhee’s a pretty scheduled guy, but...I can’t really plan this out._ “I have no idea. I mean, we have to get Kahmunrah before we even see Ahk’s parents, and I have a feeling he’s not gonna be very happy to see me.”

He nodded a little. It was only a few minutes till sunrise. “I’m just asking because...well, you have to promise not to tell anyone.” McPhee looked like an excited teenage girl who was going to reveal a new string of gossip.

“Uh...sure. It’s between you and me.”

“Good. Because I thought about what you said yesterday about Pharaoh Ahkmenrah. You know, he does so much for everyone here, he’s always eager to help. It’s actually rather sad that...no one's really returned the favor much. When’s the last time we did something nice for him, d’you know what I mean?” Larry gave a hesitant nod, still not seeing where he was going, and he went on. “So, while you all are on this little adventure, I’ve got a construction crew coming in.”

His eyes widened. “Construction. What are you, you...constructing?”

“I’m going to have the Egyptian Exhibit enlarged while he’s gone.” They were standing outside said exhibit and McPhee was smiling proudly. “Figure we just knock out a wall and make it probably, eh, double the size it is now? It shouldn’t take long, but I just want to make sure he doesn’t come back until it’s finished.”

Larry could only stare for a minute. “Wow. McPhee, that’s really... _nice_ of you.”

“Nonsense, it’s about time we did something for the poor man. I’ve lost track of how many times he’s helped me keep the peace here.”

“Yeah, but...he’s gonna love it. And after all this is over, everything with his brother and what’s going on in Egypt, to come back home and see that. He’s gonna be really happy.”

“I hope so. It’s not exactly cheap, but for him, I’ll take care of it.”

Larry wanted to say more, to show how thrilled he was about this, but Rexy’s roar cut him off.  “Remember,” McPhee whispered, “Don’t tell him anything.” He nodded and the two men walked inside. The jackal guards eyed them as they approached the room. Ahkmenrah was pacing back and forth in front of his sarcophagus. 

“Hello, Doctor, Larry,” he greeted with a grin. A blind man would be able to see it was fake.

“Hey, Ahk.”

“Good evening, Pharaoh.”

“You ready for this?” Larry asked. He could see his face was paler and his mind was very busy. 

“I am as prepared as I shall ever be, I suppose,” he replied sheepishly. “I know for a fact Kahmunrah will make this difficult, but...Mother’s word is law. Literally.”

Larry gave him his own attempt at a happy face and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Let me handle your brother, alright? I took care of him once; I can do it again.”

“Yes, but if you thought he was angry then, it shall be even worse after a few years in the Underworld.”

_He’s got me there._

“No need to worry, Pharaoh,” McPhee interjected. “You have your ‘Guardian’ with you.”

That got him to laugh a little. “Yes. The astounding Guardian of Brooklyn.”

“Who lives in Manhattan,” Larry added.

“It still doesn’t sound as cool,” Ahkmenrah told him as he wrinkled his nose. 

“I know.”

* * *

“Dumm da dum daa dum, dun nuh nuh.”

 _Just ignore it, and he’ll stop in a second,_ Jed thought again.

“Dum da dum da dum, _duh nuh nu.”_

_Then again, he’s been goin’ since we left our Hall..._

_“Duuuuummmm-”_

“Octavius,” he interrupted, having become a little concerned. “What’re ya doing?”

“I just thought the occasion called for theme music.”

“Sneakin’ around the museum trying not to get attention calls for theme music?”

He nodded. “That’s what happens in all those films we watched on YouTube.”

“...A’right, ya twisted my arm. Carry on.”

 _“Duuuuuuuummmm,_ dum da dum da duuumm _, dunananananaaaa.”_

This was one of the few times Jedediah liked being small. Six-inch people were hard to spot, so it was relatively easy to get across the museum without being noticed. They only had to cross the front room, find Larry’s car, and they were off. Jed led the way into the large room where Rexy would be when a new sound made him tense up. “Did you hear that?”

“I’m aware my voice cracked, you don’t need to draw attention to it.” The Roman blushed.

“No, not _you._ I mean somethin’ else.”

They stood in place and listened for a moment. Sure enough, soft padded feet could be heard, getting louder and louder. “Quick! Act casual,” Jed ordered. He leaned his back up against the wall and pretended to admire a painting on it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Octavius mimic his pose. _Anyone but McPhee,_ he hoped. Anyone.

The steps got louder and louder, and Jed’s muscles got tighter and tighter. Finally, a furry face rounded the corner. “Oh, thank Jupiter.” Octavius sighed. “It’s only Dexter.”

The capuchin approached them walking on two feet with a toothy grin and a few small noises. “Well, hey there, buddy,” Jed began. “What are you doin’ all the way over here?” The only response he got were some chirping noises. 

“You know, I’m not sure why,” Octavius told him. “But I have a feeling Dexter is here for the same reason we are.”

“I was just thinkin’ that. Bet he wants to go along to help Ahk.” He looked at the animal’s bright eyes. “Ain’t that right, buddy? You wanna make sure his big ol’ brother don’t mess with him?” That got a very clear nod. “Well, what’re we waitin’ for then?” Jed grinned. “Let’s find Gigantor’s car and hide b’fore the sun comes up.”

Dexter smiled larger and the three of them continued on towards the door in silence.

“Hey, Octy?” the cowboy said sheepishly. “Could ya...could ya do it again? It don’t feel right without it now.”

The Roman cleared his throat. ““Dumm da dum daa dum, dun nuh nuh...”

* * *

With light now pouring into the building, the two men got Ahkmenrah, Teddy,  and Tablet into the back of the trailer Larry had rented for the occasion. Even though he was lifeless at the moment, the look on the Teddy Roosevelt’s  face still gave Larry a sense of hope. Texas was left behind, since a horse wasn’t really necessary for the trip, as was Ahkmenrah’s sarcophagus.

“Well,” McPhee began, clapping his hands once. “Guess you’ll be off then.”

Larry locked up the trailer and sighed a little. “I’m just lucky I could get a flight to Washington on such short notice. You’d think the seats would be taken.”

“You’re, um, really going to pick up that brother of his, then? For what you told me about him, it sounds like he won’t be very cooperative.”

“Well, yeah, but what choice do I have? His mom says this is some kinda family emergency and wants both of them there.”

McPhee nodded just a little with his arms stiffly folded behind his back. “Have I ever told you I’ve never regretted not being a father? Children are just so...complicated.”

“You may have said it once or thirty times while I worked here.” He smirked.

“Always the comedian, aren’t you, Mr. Daley?” But it seemed even the strict curator couldn’t resist a small grin. “Be careful with my exhibits. They’re extremely valuable.” Just from the tone of his voice, Larry realized Doctor McPhee wasn’t speaking in monetary terms.

“Hey, remember who you’re talking to. I’ve always protected these guys. You just work on getting Ahk’s exhibit all ready by the time we get back.”

With that the shorter man stuck out his hand and Larry shook it firmly. As Doctor McPhee walked back up the stairs to the museum, Larry climbed into the driver’s seat. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the zipper on his large, black backpack wasn’t totally closed. Inside it were a few traveling essentials: phone changer, spare clothes, water bottle, bag of _Fritos…_

_I could’ve sworn that was zipped up._

He sat there, puzzled for a moment before he realized he had bigger issues to tend to. The most concerning:  _Airport_ traffic.


	6. Chapter 6

Larry finally managed to shove his bulky backpack into the overhead storage after struggling with it for a few minutes. _Why do I always overpack? This happens every time I travel, ever since I took Nick to Disney...Nick…_

He sat down in his seat as the last of the luggage was loaded into the plane. _Honestly, part of me thought he would’ve said something by now...Maybe I should call him. Just to see what’s going on and tell him I’m gonna be out of town._

Not knowing whether or not Nick would even take his call, Larry took out his phone. But before he could open his contacts, the peppy flight attendant’s voice came over the speakers. _“Attention passengers, we are a few minutes away from takeoff now. Please put all cellular devices into Airplane Mode at this time, and once again, thank you for flying with us.”_

_Of course._ He put his phone into Airplane Mode and replaced it into his pocket. _He probably wouldn’t have answered anyway. He’s too busy with Alexa, I bet, riding around on a bike he can’t afford._

As the plane took to the air, Larry watched as the buildings got smaller and smaller. _Besides, I’ve got other things to think about right now. When this plane lands, I have to deal with Kahmunrah and figure out a way to get him to his parents._ His mind went back to the first time he’d met the elder Egyptian. He’d trapped Jedediah in an hourglass and nearly killed him, opened the door to the Underworld and almost took over the world with it, not to mention almost murdered him on more than one occasion.

_Maybe we should’ve brought rope or something,_ Larry thought only half-joking. _I really doubt he’ll make this easy. If he hates Ahkmenrah for taking the throne, he’s probably not too happy with his parents for giving it to him._ He sighed a little and put in some headphones for the flight.

* * *

 

_“Aww, Nick, a_ janitor? Really?” Alexa complained over the phone. _“Cleaning up after people? Think how that's gonna_ look.”

“I know, I know,” he said. “But what choice do I have? I gotta start making money _somehow._ And it's just an interview.”

_“Couldn't you have gone for something better, though?”_

“Like _what?_ The only other job I’ve had I don't want anyone contacting because it'll look bad. And there's not exactly a lot of jobs to pick from.” The other end was silent. “Look, I need money, and I need it soon. That bike _really_ hurt my wallet.”

_“But it's so cool! All the sound it makes, the heads it turns! There's not a single person in New York who doesn't see us on it.”_

“Yeah, but...what was wrong with me just taking the bus again?”

_“Trust me, Nick, this was a good idea. And you'll find a way to start making some cash, I know it.”_

For some reason, he wasn't convinced. Nick sunk into the sofa and looked up at the ceiling. “Yeah. Look, babe, I'm gonna let you go, okay? I'll call you tomorrow.”

_“Okay, Mr. Motorcycle.”_ He heard her blow a kiss to the receiver before the line went dead. 

He set his phone onto the table in front of him and sat in silence. _I know being a janitor’s not the most glorious job but...what does she want from me? She wants me to buy her nice clothes and take her out places, but she shoots down every position I go for. What does she want me to do, plant a money tree?_

_Why are girls so confusing?_

He automatically picked up his phone again, looking for some advice. It wasn’t until he was about to press the call button that he remembered. Nick stared at the screen before putting the phone down once again. 

He was about to call his dad. 

Because every other time he’d needed him, his dad had been there, no matter how busy he was, or how much notice Nick gave him. Somehow, he’d always found a way to help. 

_...Why did I say all that stuff to him?_ He wondered. _I didn’t mean it. Yeah, he was getting a little crazy but...now it’s starting to look like he was right. Finding another job is really hard, I’m gonna have to pay rent soon, and Alexa_ really _wanted that sundress._

_I was just mad, and...scared and, really stressed out. I shouldn’t have taken it out on him, but it all happened so fast before I could even stop it. He was trying to help the best he could._

_I acted like a jerk._

Nick thought about trying to call him, but never did. He was too afraid that for the first time, his dad wouldn’t answer.

* * *

 

Larry was driving around the city, just trying to kill some time until sundown. He wasn’t going to the Smithsonian until it was closed. After leaving the very hectic and crowded Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, he’d rented a large truck to transport the two museum exhibits in and then went to get some food. It turned out New York pizza was _worlds_ better than Washington pizza. 

Out of the driver’s side window proudly stood the large Lincoln Memorial, held up with sturdy, pearl columns. Sitting in a chair in the center was the sixteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, who seemed to be watching over the capital city. Larry glanced at the man’s face and was reminded of what the once-alive statue had told him: _“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”_

When he turned back to the road, he saw that the sun was close to setting. _Guess I better head over to the museum,_ he thought. _I need to get past the guard before these guys wake up._

A few minutes later, Larry drove up to the entrance of the Smithsonian Institution. _You mess this up, it’s all over,_ he thought to himself. He ran through the lie he and Doctor McPhee had devised before he left as the night guard came to the small window. His hair was short and tightly curled. His nose was a little pointed and he had noticeable stubble on his chin and over his upper lip. The guard’s eyes got a bit larger at the sight of Larry.

“Hey, I remember you,” the young man said. “You’re that guy from a few years ago! The one who does the freakin’ karate or whatever with the flashlight!”

Like a smack to the face, Larry suddenly remembered. “Brando- er, _Bruden._ You’re still working here?”

“No, I wear this uniform for fun, man. Of course I do! This job is easy as pie.” He beamed. “So, what are you doin’ here? Come to teach me some of your sick moves?” He put his chubby arms up as if he was a ninja. A really, really pathetic one.

“Um, no, unfortunately,” Larry joked. “No, I’m here on business from Natural History, New York. Got a few exhibits that need to go into the archives.” 

He arched a bushy eyebrow. “Really? Usually they put that in the memo.”

Larry’s hand gripped the wheel a little tighter. He dared a glance to the sky and saw the sun was mere _minutes_ away from disappearing.

“Just kidding, man,” Brunden smirked. “I never read the memo.”

_Thank God._ Larry forced some laughter. 

“Just gotta call and confirm.” He watched as Brunden dialed a number. After a few rings, Larry could hear McPhee’s voice on the other end. “Okay...okay, so this is cool, then? A’right, thanks, dude.” He hung it up and looked back at Larry. “Okay, you’re in business, homie. You know where you’re going?”

“Yeah, thanks,” he said. 

“A’right, nice seein’ you.”

“Same to you.” Larry gave him a last smile before driving on. It wasn’t until he had the truck parked that he finally exhaled. _For a second, I thought I was screwed._

The museum had been closed for hours by that time, so the lot was nearly empty. Larry grabbed the handle and prepared to get out when suddenly, the backpack in the seat next to him fell to the floor. It was as if a ghost had pushed it over.

“What the…?” He leaned down to grab it but froze. It _moved._

“Ow! Consarnit, that was my foot!” said a muffled country accent.

His eyes instantly narrowed. “Jed?”

“Sorry. I can’t see a thing in here.”

“Octavius!” Larry yelled. He seized the backpack and lifted it back onto the seat.

“Whoa, whoa, earthquake!” the cowboy shouted. 

He quickly unzipped it and was met by a peculiar sight. Everything inside had been tossed around from the airplane and unfortunately it looked like his shampoo had leaked. But in the middle of the mess was a small cowboy next to a Roman soldier. _I should’ve known!_

“Oh, hey, Gigantor,” Jedediah greeted with a nervous smile. “Fancy meetin’ you here.”

“Long time, no see, my liege,” Octavius added.

“What are you guys _doing?”_ he demanded. 

“Adventure was callin’ our names,” Jed explained. “Ya can’t ignore it! Also, that’s a fine how do you do after all this time.” He crossed his arms across his chest as if _Larry_ was the one in the wrong.

“Oh, you’re right, I’m sorry. Hi Jed, nice to see you. It’s good that we got to reconnect before you and Octavius _get yourselves killed._ What are you guys thinking? Jed don’t tell me you forgot what happened the last time we came here _._ Does the word ‘hourglass’ bring back any memories?”

“Yeah, but we got the Tablet this time,” Jed countered. “Ol’ Rahmenoodle’s powerless. Ain’t got no henchmen, no Tablet, no army, nothin’. We’re fine.”

Larry looked up to the roof of the van, quietly asking for any kind of help. “I should’ve expected you guys to come along.”

“Umm, pardon me, my liege,” Octavius started, sheepishly. “But I’m afraid we were not the only ones to come along uninvited.”

As if on cue, Dexter poked his hairy head out from under the clothes. A pair of Larry’s _Mr. Bubble_ boxer shorts were on his head. 

“Of course. Why not? Is anyone else in my backpack? Did Attila curl up into a ball and jump in, too?” Realization struck like lightning. That’s _why the bag wouldn’t fit on the plane! I knew I didn’t overpack!_

“He wanted to come along for Ahkmenrah,” the Roman concluded. 

“Yeah.” Jed grinned. “If his brother gives us any trouble, Dex can just pee on him. And we wanted to help, too!”

His pulse had quickened considerably, and Larry’s body was tense. Anger was bubbling and brewing. Too many things were running through his mind: Kahmunrah, the black sand, Nick, the museum not having a guard, how were his kids behaving for the sub, the miniatures sneaking along and maybe getting hurt…

But deep down, he knew that the three stowaways had good intentions. They only wanted to help in any way they could and feel included. _Besides...I kinda missed these three troublemakers._ He sighed slowly as his muscles finally relaxed back into the seat a little and glanced back at Jed and Octavius. Dexter was finally getting the underwear off his head. “Alright,” Larry started, still not very pleased. “But you guys are staying in my pocket until we get back to New York. And stay _quiet._ Kahmunrah isn’t gonna be in a good mood to begin with.” He picked up the two small men, ignoring Jed’s complaints about being manhandled, and placed them in his shirt pocket. Dexter gave him an innocent face and got onto his shoulder. “And you’re not off the hook either. Ahk’s not gonna be happy.” He finally got out of the van and made his way to the back of the trailer. Larry quickly scanned the area for witnesses before unlocking the door.

“Lawrence,” Teddy grinned, “we were beginning to worry. Is everything alright?”

“Yeah. Turns out we have a little help.” He gestured to his pocket and Teddy didn’t seem very surprised. 

“Dexter,” Ahkmenrah began. He raised an annoyed eyebrow and the capuchin looked to the ground. “Aren’t you supposed to be back at the museum? I don’t recall inviting you on this.”

Larry helped the young pharaoh and president out of the trailer and Dexter immediately jumped onto Ahkmenrah. “Doctor McPhee is going to be looking for you three,” said the Egyptian.

Jedediah snorted. “He’ll be glad we’re outta the way. In fact, he’ll probably hope we get lost and never come back.”

“Jed,” Octavius warned.

“Alright, guys, we don’t have a lot of time,” Larry told them. “We have to do this as quick as possible. We go in, get Kahmunrah, get back out. If one of the guards sees us, we’re done for.”

“I think they’ll be a bit too distracted by the thousands of exhibits that can suddenly walk and talk,” Ahkmenrah said.

“Another reason we need to do this fast. The second that Tablet goes through those doors, all Hell breaks loose. Are we all ready?” Jed and Octavius cheered happily, Teddy nodded, and even Dexter sounded excited. Larry caught the look on Ahk’s face. The young man hadn’t made a sound, just kept his eyes locked on his own feet. His face had lost a bit of color. 

Unfortunately, they didn’t have time for a pep talk. They quickly bustled into the large building under the cover of the new night. Just as he said, the very second the glowing Tablet passed the threshold into the museum, it erupted into a cacophony of sounds, so many at once, Larry couldn’t tell what was what. _So much for this job being ‘easy as pie’, Brunden._

Larry went up to a nearby map and scanned anything that could be where the Gate of Kahmunrah was. Given that he’d only seen it once, he had no clue where it was anymore. _Fossilab, Mud Masons of Mali, African Voices, aha!_ “Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt, second floor.” 

“Elevator on your right,” Teddy told him.

They all climbed inside of it and Larry hit the button frantically until the doors finally shut. His foot tapped like a rabbit’s as it started to go up. _If anyone sees us, I’ll probably go to jail, the world finds out about the Tablet, and whatever’s going on in Egypt never gets fixed. That, or I have to kill Brunden._

Before the gleaming doors were even fully opened again, he was off like a rocket, examining the exhibit for the Gate. The walls were painted gold, a lot like Ahkmenrah's room back in New York. Every inch of them was covered with strange hieroglyphics, from jackals to pharaohs, all in very bright colors. One glass held a few jewel-encrusted vases of different sizes. Another was a crude painting of a brain being removed from a deceased man's nose. _Lovely,_ he thought in passing. _I love Ahk, but his rituals are really weird._

“Lawrence,” Teddy called. “I’m assuming that’s it?”

Larry’s eyes followed his finger down to the end of the hall. A charcoal black statue stood on the wall. It resembled a mummified pharaoh with a large, black skull. There was a large, curved box in the middle of it. Only the Tablet of Ahkmenrah would be able to fill it. As he got closer to it, the air seemed to take on a sense of danger. Darkness. The room seemed to grow dimmer. This was indeed the Gate to the Underworld. 

“Is it just me,” Jed asked. “Or did it get creepier since the last time we saw it?”

“I’m not sure it can _get_ creepier,” Octavius told him.

Larry stood a few feet away from it, staring at the empty eye sockets of the skull. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ahkmenrah stand next to him, clutching the Tablet to his chest. 

“Well...guess we should get this over with then,” the Egyptian said. His voice had lost all tone and joy it usually held. Like everything around the Gate, Ahkmenrah seemed to grow darker. But Larry knew it wasn’t the Gate doing it, but the person inside of it.

“Hey,” he said, making Ahk turn to him. “Remember what I said. I’ll take care of Kahmunrah. Okay?” He nodded, but Larry knew it hadn’t helped much.

 “And we’re certain only Kahmunrah will come out once it’s open?” Teddy asked.

Again, Ahkmenrah nodded. “He was the last one inside. He’ll be the first to come back out. Once he is, I’ll close the Gate up again.”

“Alright.” Larry clapped his hands. “Whenever you’re ready.”

He heard Ahkmenrah take a deep breath and approach the Gate. Larry straightened and tried to prepare himself. He still didn’t know what he was going to do once Kahmunrah was back. Ahkmenrah placed the Tablet into the space and punched in the combination, the first few numbers of pi. The second he hit the last number, it began to glow. Larry could hear him begin to chant in Egyptian, quietly. After repeating the words a few times, the Pharaoh statue moved forward a little and the large, black door opened slowly. Green light began to fill the room as it got wider and wider. Ahkmenrah stepped to the side, ready to close it. Dexter made a high-pitched sound and covered his eyes.

The Gate finally opened all of the way and the sounds of souls screaming could now be heard. Larry watched as a tall, muscular figure began to come together. He kept a straight face, but deep down, there was fear and uncertainty in the pit of his stomach. 

But there was no going back now. 

  **A/N:** Guess who's comin' next chaaaapter!


	7. Chapter 7

The sound of lost souls was beginning to grow quieter as his own was flying forwards. Slowly, he could feel himself begin to come together once again. His body felt as if it were waking up from a long, deep sleep yet his head was spinning like a cyclone.

Suddenly, everything came to stop.

His feet hit the floor with a soft thud. He opened his eyes only to find everything was a bit blurry. Placing a hand on his head to try to fight the dizziness, he was relieved to find his large hat was still there. Looking down as his eyes finally focused, he saw he looked no different than before he'd been forced into the Underworld.

_By Anubis himself,_ Kahmunrah thought in awe.  _I've been brought back to life once again!_

He looked up slowly and was shocked at what he saw. His ears tuned to the sound of the Gate closing behind him, but he didn't turn to see who had shut it. He was too focused on who was in front of him. Dressed in a black jacket, a blue shirt, black pants and shoes, stood the Devil himself.

"Mr. Daley," Kahmunrah said with a lisp. Just  _looking_ at the man made his blood boil. Every cell in his body wanted to kill him that very moment. Unfortunately, he had no weapon with which to do so beyond his own hands. His khopesh hadn't made the trip back. As much as he wanted to have his revenge, he decided to see why the man had come. There must've been a good reason, of course. "I must admit, I didn't expect to see you again."

"Yeah, this really wasn't on my To Do List, either, really," Larry deadpanned.

"Well, then might I ask just what warranted this little…" He had to pause for a moment and searched for a word. "Visit?"

The man seemed to study him before answering. "Something's happening in Egypt. The sand is turning black and now it's spreading."

That caught him off guard.  _Sand doesn't change color. What in the world could be making it do that?_ "Well," he began again. "That's certainly an interesting bit of news, but I don't see what it has to do with me. I've been a bit busy with thousands of shrieking  _souls_ to have caused that to happen, in case you forgot."

"I know it's not you, obviously," the man replied. "But your par-  _Dexter, no!"_

Before he could even move, something small and hairy jumped onto the back of his neck. Kahmunrah growled as his body tensed and he tried to grab for the animal. He could hear it making sounds as it raced around his torso, a dark brown blur. His hand found a tail and gripped it tightly. Furious, he flung the animal to the floor. Kahmunrah opened his mouth to shout, but he never got the opportunity. The monkey was back up and was quickly scampering over to another figure. It climbed up the golden clothing and finally stopped on the man's shoulder. Kahmunrah stood there with his mouth open at the sight.

Ahkmenrah looked no different even after all these centuries.

"Why must you always cause trouble?" Ahkmenrah shouted. He was holding the Tablet under one of his arms. "This is the very reason I didn't want you to come along!"

"Well," Kahmunrah began. The younger Egyptian's bright eyes met his. "Well, well, well. Isn't _this_ a surprise?" He saw the color leave Ahkmenrah's face. Part of him was very pleased to see he still got that reaction. "The great pharaoh of Egypt come to see me. Had I known, I would have practiced my curtsy."

Ahkmenrah scowled at him. "I can't say I'm overly pleased to see you, either, brother. After...everything."

Kahmunrah prepared to snap at the brat pharaoh like a desert cobra, but he was cut off for the second time.

"Now is not the time to discuss old wounds," said an unfamiliar voice. He turned a little and saw another man standing near Larry who he hadn't noticed before. The man had a brown mustache, tan clothing, a hat that wasn't  _nearly_ as impressive as his own, and a pair of small, round glasses on his nose.

"Teddy's right," Larry told them. "We gotta get out of here before someone sees."

Kahmunrah furrowed his brow at the man. "I'm afraid I'm not going  _anywhere,_  Mr. Daley, until one of you tells me just what is going on. And I suggest you do it quickly before I decide to kill your little monkey friend." He saw Ahkmenrah pull the creature closer to him.  _Oh, how cute. He thinks he can protect it from me._

"Long story short," Larry began quickly. "Your parents know what's happening with the sand and want Ahkmenrah  _and_ you to come to Britain so they can explain it."

"...My parents?" he repeated.  _How would they know what could be causing...Why in Ra's name do I care?!_ His confused expression quickly became its default frown. "I'm afraid I'm not really up for a family reunion, sorry to say. Why don't you just take the favorite son over there and his attack monkey and send them my regards?"

Larry glared at him and Kahmunrah prepared for an argument. Or rather, prepared to win one.

"Very well," Ahkmenrah interjected. He walked back towards Larry wearing a confident grin. "You don't have to come if you don't want to."

"What?" Larry asked. "But your mom-"

"Don't worry," he said. Kahmunrah didn't care for his tone. It was as if Ahkmenrah knew something he didn't. "We'll simply tell Mother that Kahmunrah decided to remain here." He stopped walking but didn't turn around to face him again. "And when she hears that, she'll be furious that he didn't do as she asked. So much, she'll take the Tablet, find a way to come here to Washington, grab him by his ear, and drag him to London."

He widened his eyes a little.

"Unless of course," Ahkmenrah looked over his shoulder with a proud smirk. "he's changed his mind and would rather come willingly?"

Kahmunrah's teeth gritted in his mouth as he shot a death glare and flared his nostrils.  _Always hiding behind Mommy and Daddy, isn't he? Well, perhaps one day, they won't be there to help him._ But for now, Ahkmenrah had won.  _"Fine."_ He snarled. Ahkmenrah grinned and Kahmunrah resisted the urge to smack the expression off his face.

"Alright," Larry said. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

Nick was surprised he could hear himself think over the sound of the motorcycle. Then again, it was a lot quieter than the woman shouting in his ear behind him.

"Alexa, I actually need to keep the hearing in that ear," he shouted over the noise.

"I can't help it! This is so fuuuunnn!"

He sighed a little and within a few minutes, he killed the bike in front of her apartment. Alexa squeezed him around the middle. "Thanks, Nicky. I had a great time as usual." Lipstick touched his cheek and a small jolt went up his spine. She got off the motorcycle and looked at him with her piercing green eyes. "Got any plans tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" he parroted. "Um, actually, I have that job interview, so I'm probably gonna be tired. I mean, it's four in the morning right now."

"Aw, Nicky, don't be a buzzkill. You're only young once, right? Let's have some fun!"

He racked his mind for some kind of excuse, but experience told him that none of them could get him out of this.

"What do you say we go dancing? Eight o'clock work?" Nick opened his mouth but it's a little hard to speak when a beautiful girl's kissing you. "See you then, cutie." She smiled. With that, she walked into the building.

After a minute, Nick started up the bike again and headed back to his own place.  _I'm getting pretty good at parking this thing,_ he thought. He walked to his apartment, tossed the keys on the table, and flopped onto his sofa.  _What the hell am I gonna_ do?  _Alexa wants to go out all the time and I just can't say no to her! Why did she have to have me get her that purse? What was wrong with the old one? God, if I don't nail this interview tomorrow, I'm screw-_

_The interview! Crap, I gotta get some sleep!_

* * *

Larry had never had a more stressful plane ride. It had been delayed and everyone had nearly woken up when they were unloading the luggage at the London City Airport. He was still calming down as he drove the  _second_ rented truck to the British Museum.  _Thank God this is a quick drive,_ he thought.  _I'm not sure how much longer they can stand being back there._

"For the last time, keep your monkey away from me before I snap its neck!" Kahmunrah shouted from the back of the truck.

"Dexter, come here! Be a good capuchin and leave Kahmunrah alone. Clearly he didn't get his beauty sleep in the Underworld."

"Why I ought to-"

"Alright, enough, both of you!" Larry heard Teddy shout.  _You know you're in trouble when_ he  _yells._ "You're bickering isn't helping us any."

"Dang, Gigantor," Jedediah said from Larry's pocket. "Those two sure got some bad blood between 'em, don't they?"

"Yeah, sounds that way," Larry replied.

"I never thought it was possible," Octavius began. "But I think Kahmunrah hates his brother more than he hates  _you."_

"Yeah, he really knows how to hold a grudge, I guess."

He turned into the museum parking lot and reached back to bang on the truck. "Alright, everyone be really quiet until I come back there, got it? Just in case it's not Tilly."

Surprisingly enough, not another sound was heard. Just like at the Smithsonian, the museum was already closed, and the lot was deserted. He pulled up to the small window that almost resembled a drive-thru and leaned out the truck a little.

A plump, short, young woman slide the window open. She was in a dark blue uniform and hat. Her hair was sitting on her shoulder in a ponytail. "Hello, Larry."

"Hey, Tilly. How have you been?"

"Uhh, this job has been so  _boring_ ever since Ahk left with the Tablet," she complained. "Are they all awake?"

"Yeah, and already driving me crazy. Dexter, Jed, and Octavius decided to sneak along for the ride."

"Nice to meet ya, Tilly," Jed greeted with a tip of his hat.

"It's a shame we didn't meet before," Octavius added. "We were a bit preoccupied with our impending doom at the time."

Tilly grinned at the two the way a woman would do at a cute puppy or baby and turned back to Larry. "Well, let's get them out of there then, before someone dies," she joked.  _She has no clue how close that was to happening._

He left the backpack in the truck and went to the back. The door went up easily to reveal the three people and Dexter. "Hi Ahk!" Tilly shouted as he got out. She instantly wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. "Aww, I missed you so much! Things have been so dull without you here."

"I missed you, too." He wheezed. "But you're crushing my ribs."

"Oh, sorry! Overexcited." Larry almost laughed a little as she let him go. "So where is this brother I heard abo-" Her eyes widened as Kahmunrah jumped out of the truck. "...Hell- _lo."_

_Oh God._

"Ahkmenrah, you didn't tell me your brother was so...muscular."

_Not on him,_ Larry begged.  _The thing with Laa was weird enough. Please God, don't let her have a crush on_ him.

On the contrary, Kahmunrah seemed to be enjoying the attention. His seemingly permanent scowl had become an arrogant smirk. Ahkmenrah gestured to him sheepishly. "Tilly, this is my older brother, Kahmunrah. Kahmunrah, Tilly the night guard."

The older Egyptian pushed past him and extended a hand. "A pleasure to meet you." Larry was a bit surprised to see the man acting so...not murderous. Jed made a barfing sound in his pocket. Tilly seized her opportunity and reached past his palm, going right for his arm.

"Bloody hell," she swooned. "It's like a freakin'  _boulder._ "

Kahmunrah looked a bit surprised at her, um...boldness, but said nothing. Ahkmenrah looked like he was going to  _really_ be sick. Teddy had gotten out of the truck by this time with Dexter on his shoulder and approached Tilly, who looked to be drooling a bit.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced," he began, coming to the rescue. Tilly snapped out of her trance and turned to him. He gave her a gloved hand and a smile. "Theodore Roosevelt, at your service."

She cleared her throat and let go of Kahmunrah to shake it. "Nice to meet you all. Let's go inside before someone sees you." Before she took a step though, Larry caught her wink at Kahmunrah. He stifled a gag.

They followed her into the British Museum and just like before, once the Tablet was inside, it erupted into a deafening mix of growling, shouting, and thousands of other sounds that were buried in the racket. "Oh man, I've missed this," Tilly told him. "You were right when you said this was the best job ever."

"Yeah, it's a real party." He smiled. "Kinda sucks to be the guy who has to, y'know, clean it up every morning, but it's worth it."

"You still working at the New York museum then?"

"Um, no, actually. After we left Ahk and the Tablet here, I went back to school and became a teacher. Fifth graders."

"Aww, how cute. With their little noses and chubby cheeks, and-"

Kahmunrah cleared his throat, loudly. "I don't mean to interrupt this little...thing," he said. "But I believe we're here for a reason?"

"As much as I hate to say it, he has a point," Ahk told them. "Mother sounded scared on the phone. The sooner we figure out the story behind that sand, the better."

"You know where to go?" Tilly asked. "I'd come with, but I gotta watch over the rest of the museum."

"I think we got it handled, don't worry."

"Well, you tell Merenkahre and Shepseheret I said hello. And Ahk, now that the Tablet makes calls, you give me a ring every now and again, okay?"

"Of course, Tilly. It was lovely to see you again."

"Nice to see you and your beefy, er, big brother."

His stomach flipped and Larry was glad to get some distance between Kahmunrah and Tilly before anything else happened. They walked inside and were met with an  _unsavory_ sight. The statues had come to life but were out of practice. Some of them weren't made with all of their limbs. Larry did his best not to watch as some of them crawled around on the floor without legs. Just knowing it was going on around him made him tense.  _I can't believe I forgot this part. The first time, I figured this would give me nightmares for at least a month._ He chanced a glance behind him to make sure everyone was still there. Teddy was staring forward along with Ahkmenrah. Kahmunrah looked a bit green and Dexter was on Ahk's shoulder, covering his eyes with one of his arms.

It felt like it had taken hours to walk through that room, but once they were out, the tension around them lifted. "Alright guys," Larry began. "The sooner we get to Egypt, the sooner we figure out what's going on." Thankfully, the statues seemed to have shocked the two Egyptians so much, neither of them said a word as they went through the lively museum. They kept on quietly with Larry leading and Teddy staying in between the brothers. Frankly, Larry wanted to get out of the museum as soon as he could for more than one reason. One was that he wanted to set this entire black sand thing to rest. The second was that, as amazing as it was to see the British Exhibits come to life, it made him think of the first time he'd come there. The Tablet had been corroding.

And nearly everyone he cared about almost died before his eyes, and he couldn't do a thing about it.

Over the years, the New York exhibits had become like family to him. Even after he stopped being the nightguard, he still felt responsible for them. And if any of them got hurt, it would crush him. Just the thought was making his stomach knot up tighter and tighter. He looked back quickly at them then glanced down at Jed and Octavius.  _Not this time, guys. Whatever's going on, we're all making it back to New York._

"I think we take a left at the end of this-"

The ground trembled underneath his feet and his sentence was forgotten.  _What was that?_

Teddy walked up to him with his eyes showing a bit of concern. "I'm sorry to say over the years I've forgotten just what sort of creatures we met here."

"Well, if I may make a suggestion," Kahmunrah began in a sharp tone.  _If I didn't know better,_  Larry thought with an internal smirk.  _It almost sounds like he's a little scared._ "Whatever that was, let's do our best to avoid it."

No one objected. Larry took another few steps, when the ground trembled again, harder this time.

"That might be a bit hard," Ahkmenrah said in a hushed voice. "Because I think it's coming this way."

Sure enough, the floor was shaking to the point where Larry thought if he tried to walk, he'd fall over. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted that Teddy had left his gun back in New York.  _Not that it would actually fire if he had it._ They stood there in anticipation as the creature finally skidded around the corner. A large Triceratops skeleton balanced itself and came to a stop. Its eye sockets seemed to focus on the group.

"What in the name of Isis," Kahmunrah muttered.

Ahkmenrah, on the other hand, smiled brightly. "Trixie."

The name opened a dam in Larry's mind. They'd met the feisty fossil on their first trip to London and she was eventually domesticated. At this point, she was like a female version of Rexy, though she didn't care for playing fetch. Larry released the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Ahkmenrah walked forwards and Trixie's tail thundered behind her. "Well someone sure is happy to be up and about, aren't you?" The dinosaur made a panting sound and lowered her head down closer to him. "I know, I've been away for quite some time. You didn't forget about me, did you?"

"Of course not," Kahmunrah interjected with venom in his voice. "How could anyone ever forget about  _you?"_

Ahk sent a glare over his shoulder but Larry barely noticed. Trixie had narrowed her eyes...er, eye sockets and raised her head back up. He followed her gaze and saw it lead back to Kahmunrah.  _….Oh no._

Ahkmenrah seemed to notice as well and tried to get her attention again. "It's alright, Trixie. It's okay, look over here. Look over at me." Her chest stuck out more and Larry could've sworn he heard the fossil  _growl_ a bit. Larry quickly realized that this was another connection between the dinos and dogs: they got very protective around people they didn't know.

Larry saw Kahmunrah look a bit paler as Trixie gazed down at him. Ahkmenrah was growing a bit desperate. "He's alright, girl, he's with us. Well, not really, Mother made us bring him along, but-"

An earsplitting roar echoed throughout the hall as Trixie leapt over the young pharaoh. Not wasting a second, Kahmunrah turned around and raced down the hall with the golden pieces in his hair clattering against him.

Larry quickly followed suit and chased after the rampaging dinosaur with the others close behind him.  _"Trixie!"_ Ahk shouted. "Come back! You don't want to eat him, believe me! You don't know where he's been!"

As he ran down the halls, trying to keep up with the dinosaur, Larry heard Jed laugh in his pocket. "That dino thinks Rahmenoodle's a chew toy!"

"Jed, you're not helping!"

"Hey, I'm just sayin'." He shrugged, "It's 'bout time somebody taught him a lesson."

"Preferably not one that stomps him into pudding! I hate him as much as you do, but I can't exactly walk to the Egyptian exhibit with one of their children in ten different pieces!"

The three of them, along with the miniatures and Dexter, called after Trixie but she and Kahmunrah were quickly out of sight.

**A/N:** Kahmunrah is fun to torture, haha! By the way, I try to do my best to update about every 2 weeks, but there is always a small chance I could forget for a day or two. As always, thank you all for your lovely comments, follows, and favs. They keep me going!


	8. Chapter 8

_I never thought I’d say this,_ Kahmunrah thought as he raced down another corridor. _But I’m starting to_ really _miss the Underworld._ He looked over his shoulder to see the giant dinosaur skeleton chasing him still and gaining speed. _You know as quick as this thing is, one would think it would have lived longer._

He looked forwards again and ran down another countless hallway. His calves were starting to develop a burning sensation in them. Not only was there an enormous monster running after him, but he also had to navigate around every other living museum exhibit. Jumping over a frog, he saw what was coming and his face drained of all color.

He had run himself right into a dead end.

_Osiris, help me._

He skidded to a stop, reluctantly, and turned towards the dinosaur. She stopped as well and growled loudly, taking slow, taunting steps towards him. Desperation kicked in and he held his hands up as if they would do anything. “Nice dinosaur. Good girl. You really don’t want to do this, you know. Egyptians are notoriously...I’m going to be honest, I’m not sure where I was going with that.”

The skeleton let out another echoing roar and charged at him, making the floor quake again. Kahmunrah held his arms over his face and screwed his eyes shut. 

_“Trixie, no! Heel, girl!”_

The sound of clanking metal made him chance a look at what was going on. The dinosaur was dangerously close to goring him on its massive horns when a shining something slid underneath it and was suddenly standing in front of him. Like magic, the skeleton halted mere feet away from them. Slowly, Kahmunrah lowered his arms back down to his sides. _How in the world did he do that?_

He watched in a bit of awe as the stranger pointed down to the ground. “Sit.” 

And it _did._ Armor covered arms crossed across his body. “You know better than that, Trixie. I’m surprised at you.” _Did it...did it just_ whimper? “You can’t just go chasing people around, trying to impale them. It’s not polite. Now, go find a toy to play with while I clean up anything you may have broken. We will discuss this later.” 

The fossil gave him an apologetic nudge with her head before walking away. Finally, the strange man turned around to face him and Kahmunrah was able to get a good look at him. He had dirty blonde, somewhat messy hair that just barely touched his shoulders. Bright, blue eyes met his for a moment. His mustache and beard matched the color on his head. From the neck down he was covered in chainmail and armor. An impressive looking sword was resting in its sheath on his hip. On his chest was a foreign crest of red and blue with some kind of creature on it he didn’t recognize. “I’m terribly sorry about that,” he told him with an embarrassed, somewhat goofy looking smile. “She’s actually quite tame and playful most of the time. But she really doesn’t like strangers.”

Kahmunrah was both confused by his strange attire and astounded by how he’d been able to handle the enormous dinosaur. “...Who _are_ you?”

“Oh, of course, where are my manners?” He extended a metal hand. “Sir Lancelot, at your service.” He arched a brow at the name and made no move to shake his hand. “...And you are?” he asked after a moment.

Part of him still tensed at the fact that the world no longer knew his name. “ _I,”_ A light pause for dramatic effect. “Am Kahmunrah, half-god, once remov-”

“I’m sorry, but,” He couldn’t help but cringe a bit at the interruption. _Were we back in Egypt, I’d have his tongue cut out. Well perhaps only part of it, considering he did know how to control the dinosaur._ “You wouldn’t be from Egypt, would you?”

 _No, I’m Greek. Tunics are all the rage there._ “Yes.”

“What a coincidence. An old friend of mine was Egyptian. He left, though.” Kahmunrah stopped listening to the man’s chatter as the sound of a few sets of feet approaching got louder. “Say, perhaps you knew him! His name’s-”

“Trixie!” called an _all too familiar_ voice. “Mother and Father won’t be happy if you eat him!”

Lancelot lost interest in him as the group finally rounded the corner. “Oh, thank Ra you’re okay,” Ahkmenrah said breathlessly. _No thanks to you, of course._ “I’m not sure how I would’ve told Mo...Lance?”

“Ahk?” 

 _Of course he knows him._ Everyone _knows him._

“It's so good to see you!” Ahkmenrah grinned as the two embraced in a hug. _Oh, excuse me while I vomit._

“What are you doing back here?” Lancelot asked. “I thought you wanted to be in New York.”

“Well, I was, er, _am_. We’re only here really because there’s something going on in Egypt and only my parents seem to know what it is. And it’s apparently quite serious because they had us stop and get...oh, right.” Kahmunrah rolled his eyes as everyone seemed to recall his presence. Ahkmenrah shifted uncomfortably and gestured to him. “I’m assuming you already met my older brother, Kahmunrah.”

The knight’s eyes widened considerably as he quickly looked at both of them a few times. “You have a _brother?”_ He watched as Ahkmenrah nodded with an embarrassed look. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Well, it... some things-”

“I mean, I’ve known you for _three years_. One would think you would have at least mentioned him.” The knight gave him a teasing look. “What else are you keeping from me?”

“Nothing of importance.”

_I suppose that’s the category I fall under._

“Guys,” Larry began. “I hate to cut your reunion short, but I really don’t want to keep your parents waiting.”

“Oh, Larry, I barely noticed you were here. And you as well, Mr. Roosevelt,” Lancelot admitted. “Well, if you’re going to the Egyptian Exhibit, allow me to lead the way. We’ll make sure Trixie doesn’t give this brother of yours any more trouble, hmm?” He grinned at Ahkmenrah, who gave a very weak one in return. 

As they started on again with the knight leading the way, Kahmunrah stayed in the back of the group. He watched for a moment as Ahkmenrah caught up with Lancelot and struck up a conversation. He didn’t bother to listen in and instead quietly pretended to crush Ahkmenrah's head between his fingers.

* * *

 

“That _is_ strange,” Lance agreed as Ahk finished the story. “And neither of your parents told you why the sand is changing?”

He shook his head. “All they said was to grab Kahmunrah and come straight here.”

Lancelot gave him a confused look then a simple shrug. “Well, we’ll find out momentarily. Because here we are.”

Ahk looked forwards again and saw the Egyptian Wing, which for years was like another home to him. It was full of large pillars with hieroglyphics carved into them. The room was at least three times the size of his own back in New York. In it were many jewel encrusted jars, a few small statues of a handful of Gods, and a larger one of Anubis. On the back wall were more hieroglyphics and above that was a painting of two bird-like creatures around a large red-orange orb. In the middle were two large sarcophagi without lids. 

As if on cue, a figure rounded the corner and his eyes widened a bit. Pharaoh Merenkahre strode towards them proudly. His face showed no visible emotion. He was adorned in a tunic somewhat similar to Kahmunrah’s, through Merenkahre’s had blue on some parts. The air seemed to grow more tense as he approached. No one moved until he was standing before them. Ahkmenrah looked at his father and met his eyes. After a moment, Merenkahre placed his hand onto his shoulder - the one without the capuchin on it. “My son. It is so good to see you again.”

Ahk couldn’t help but smile. He wanted to reach out and hug his father but knew very well that he was not a very big fan of that kind of affection. “It’s good to see you, too. I only wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Yes.” He took his hand off his shoulder. “We have...much to discuss.” Ahk watched as his father’s eyes looked away from him. He followed his gaze and his stomach tightened. Kahmunrah and Merenkahre had locked eyes. The two men hadn’t seen each other in centuries and frankly, hadn’t parted on the best of terms. To Ahk, it was as if two alpha male dogs had entered the same room and just left him wondering if a fight was going to break out.

“...Kahmunrah.” Merenkahre said coldly.

“Father,” he snarled back.

The moment hung in the air as neither man stopped staring at the other.

Thankfully, footsteps approached, and another familiar face entered the room. Queen Shepseheret was dressed in a flowing pearl dress of cotton that covered her feet. Her hair was braided with little bits of gold in them and was topped with her crown. On her shoulders was another accessory that looked like golden bird’s wings. She walked quickly but paused at the sight of the group. A smile spread across her face and she stretched her arms out. “My boys.”

She walked up to Ahkmenrah and wrapped him in a hug. Instantly, the tension in the room evaporated. “I’ve missed you so much.” 

“I’ve missed you, too.” And having his parents in front of him now made him realize that yes, he really did. 

She let go of him and approached Kahmunrah warmly.  Ahk saw Larry’s eyes widened as the Queen wrapped her arms around her oldest child. He could see the anger in his brother’s eyes dissipate as he returned her embrace. _Mother is the only person in history who has even been able to get that kind of reaction out of him. To erase away his anger, even just for a minute._

His mother broke apart and looked up at Kahmunrah, who was the tallest in the family. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, yet it looks as if you haven’t changed at all.” He opened his mouth to say something, but she kept going. “Ahkmenrah told me some time ago that you somehow ended up in...What was it again? Washing something? Washing Machine?”

“Washington,” Larry explained. “At the Smithsonian.”

“Oh, yes, yes, that’s right.” She placed a hand on her hip and looked at him with a firmer expression. “He also told me that you were getting into a bit of trouble.”

And just like that, Kahmunrah’s rage returned to his eyes though he tried to conceal it. Ahkmenrah shuffled his foot as he caught an evil glare from his brother. “Oh, did he now? And just what did he say?”

 _Oh, don’t worry, brother,_ Ahk thought annoyed. _I didn’t tattle on you this time. At least not fully._

“You were trying to take your brother’s Tablet.”

_And that was all I told her. I left out the fact that you tried to kill two of my friends and almost took over the world with the Gate. You’re welcome. Just be glad I can’t bear to break our Mother’s heart._

“Well I’m not going to deny it,” Kahmunrah said, turning his attention back to his mother.

“I wish you would simply let that go, Kahmunrah. It cannot be healthy for you to hang onto these things.” She held her gaze for a moment before softening again. “But that’s all over with now. We’re finally all together again. I only wish it was for any other reason than this.” Her voice lost all its light with that final sentence.

 “Mr. Daley,” she began again. Larry looked up, surprised. He clearly had been somewhere else for the past few minutes. “Thank you again for bringing my children here on such short notice. I trust the journey was simple enough?”

He hesitated and Ahk knew he was thinking back to all the arguing he and Kahmunrah had gotten into on the way here. _He started it._

“Oh, yeah, it was fine. Airports suck, but I can’t really change that, you know?”

The Queen gave him a smile, having only understood parts of that sentence. “And Sir Lancelot, it is so nice to see you once again. Thank you for leading them here.”

“I am but your humble servant, your majesty.” Lance bowed slightly and grinned.

“Well.” She clapped her hands, “I’m glad you've all arrived, but we really do have quite an emergency on our hands. You may want to sit down for this, it is quite a tale.” 

Ahkmenrah sat down between Kahmunrah and Lancelot. Dexter climbed off of his shoulder and obediently sat on the floor. _I guess even_ he _knows this is bad._

“We should’ve told you about this centuries ago, children,” The Queen said with a serious, remorseful tone. “But we never...well, perhaps we should just explain this mess.” _Finally, we’ll know what’s going on,_ Ahk thought.  She looked at Merenkahre. “Would you like to, or shall I?”

He considered this for a minute before decided he would tell the story. “It was centuries ago, before either of you were even born. Egypt was thriving, the Jews were singing, everything was going perfectly. Until one day, when a strange man named Zalaam came to the palace. No one knew where he came from. I swear it was if the man had simply appeared out of thin air. Zalaam came to your mother and I to offer his services. He claimed that he could help us expand Egypt, make an even larger empire.”

“How?” Kahmunrah asked.

Merenkahre shot him a look that read, _“I was getting to that if you hadn’t interrupted me” and_ kept going. “He had very strong, dark magic in his possession. Somehow, he had learned to control sand as black as the night sky. But his plans, what he propositioned us with...it was horrible. He didn’t want to help Egypt, only himself. He wanted to conquer the entire world with his powers and for us to assist him in doing so. He would’ve killed thousands of innocent people if it meant he had the world in his hands. Zalaam tried to convince us, telling us it would make Egypt the most powerful kingdom in existence. But we never gave in, no matter what he tried to tempt us with.

“Outraged by our rejection, he vowed to destroy everything we held dear when he had the power to do so. He said one day he would be stronger than ever before and return. I, of course, ordered the guards to arrest and execute him. But just as quickly as he appeared, Zalaam used his magic to vanish without a trace. We searched everywhere we could think of for months. But we never got a single clue to show that he’d even been in Egypt in the first place.

“Years later, when Kahmunrah was probably no more than five, it was rumored that Zalaam had died. We had no reason to believe it wasn’t true. After that, all was as it was before. Eventually, your mother and I virtually forgot we had ever met the man. But now…” Merenkahre seemed to drift off into thoughts.

Larry spoke up. “Are you...saying that the sand changing to black means he’s coming back?”

The Queen could only give a slight nod.

Ahkmenrah could feel panic twisting up his inside. “But how? He’s been dead for centuries.”

“If you haven’t noticed, genius _, we’ve_ been dead for centuries,” Kahmunrah snapped. “And yet here we are walking and talking. If we can cheat death, I think it’s safe to assume this Zalaam can as well.”

“Well, in a way,” the Queen told them. “Where the Tablet can restore your body, Zalaam can only bring his soul back.”

“...Well then there’s no problem then.” Lancelot smiled. “If he’s just some lost soul without a body, he can’t do anything, right?”

“I’m afraid you are incorrect, Sir Lancelot.” She frowned. “Zalaam may rise as a soul, but he could easily possess the nearest body. If he accomplished that, he would have all of his magic once again and could wreak havoc.”

_Possess a body?_

“What can we do to stop him?” Teddy asked.

Merenkahre spoke up again. “There is a legend that goes back years and years of the Mirror of Wadjet. The tale claims that somewhere in a hidden temple for Wadjet, deep in the desert, lies the Mirror. It was blessed by the goddess herself to trap the darkness of the world. If we find the Mirror, it will be able to trap Zalaam’s soul for all eternity. But we have to do it _before_ he is able to possess someone. If he gets a body, the Mirror will not know which soul to trap. Once a soul is inside, it cannot come back out.”

 “Mr. Daley, you said the black sand was spreading?” the Queen asked.

“Yeah and pretty quickly from the look of it.”

“Then he could rise any day now. We must travel back to Egypt immediately.”

Ahk’s heart skipped a beat. “We’re going back to Egypt?” Under the circumstances, he shouldn’t have been excited. Yet it had been so long since he’d seen his home.

“That’s what she said. Aren’t you paying attention? And I’m sorry, but where exactly am I involved here?” Kahmunrah asked her.

“As I told your brother, this affects the entire family. Zalaam is a very dangerous man, Kahmunrah.”

Ahk could see his brother about to say something else, but Merenkahre didn’t allow him to get a word out. “We do not have to justify our reasoning. If your mother did not believe you should be here, believe me, you wouldn’t be.”

Ahkmenrah wished he was anywhere else at the moment. He knew all too well what was about to happen and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Kahmunrah narrowed his eyes and leaned forward a bit. “Yes, I’m sure you believe that the prodigal son over here, the night guard, and his ragtag group of wax and plastic can get rid of this threat without me. But might I point out that your only plan to stop this man is based on a mere _legend?_ The Mirror might not even _exist!_ And even if it did, we have no _idea_ where it could be! _”_

“And I’m assuming you have a better idea?”

“I would’ve executed the man five minutes after he walked into the palace! You let him escape!”

“Alright, both of you,” the Queen interjected. “Let’s just-”

“He vanished in the bat of an eye! I looked everywhere for that man! And do not _dare_ blame me for this! I am your father!” Merenkahre was on his feet now. Kahmunrah did the same.

“If this is that serious, shouldn’t we be on our way?” Ahkmenrah pointed out, hoping to defuse the raging storm brewing. But just like back when he’d been alive, it seemed whenever Kahmunrah and his father started shouting, he was invisible. 

“You’re shipping us all out to Egypt for a waste of time when Zalaam could be rising right now!” Kahmunrah’s anger had made his lisp even worse now.

“Yeah, which is exactly why we should go,” Larry said, getting up as well.

“The Mirror is the only thing that has a chance to-” But once again the Queen was cut off.

“Do not doubt my judgement! I ruled over Egypt for years. I know very well what to do in a crisis!” Merenkahre argued. “You have no say in this situation! You have no experience!”

“Whose fault is that?! It was you who gave the throne to Ahkmenrah even though _I_ am oldest! I should’ve-”

A loud whistle echoed throughout the room. Everyone looked to Larry’s shirt pocket. 

“Ya know,” Jedediah yelled. “Little ears are kinda sensitive to shoutin’.” 

Teddy got up. “I know it’s been quite some time since you’ve all been in the same room with each other, but with all due respect this is no time to relive history. If a legendary Mirror is the only thing we know of that can stop this, then we’ve got to find it.”

“And if it’s not even _real?”_ Kahmunrah asked.

“We’re gonna have to cross that bridge if we get to it,” Larry told him. “But the more time we spend here arguing, the more of a chance Zalaam has to come back and get a body.”

Ahkmenrah rose to his feet with relief. From the look on her face, he could tell his mother felt the same way. Merenkahre and Kahmunrah gave each other some distance and stopped making eye contact. Kahmunrah was now glaring at Octavius and Jedediah. _At least they’ve stopped shouting and Larry won’t be letting Jed out of his sight. Which is just what I’ll be doing with my brother._

 **A/N:**  FINALLY we know why the sand is changing. What are we thinking? And as always thanks for any comments, kudos, and bookmarks!


	9. Chapter 9

Jed and Octavius bounced a little in Larry’s pocket as he walked. Everyone was silent after the argument as they all loaded into the truck. “It seems Kahmunrah has noticed our presence,” Octavius began as Larry got behind the wheel.

Jed snorted. “He don’t scare me. ‘Sides, he’s got his parents ‘round now. Rahmenoodle can’t do anything.”

“Well, just to be safe, I’d make sure he doesn’t hear you call him that,” Larry chimed. “It might be a little awkward for me to tell Doctor McPhee that you somehow went,” he paused to hold up air-quotes, _“‘missing’_ in Egypt.”

 _Yeah, right._ “He’d throw a party to celebrate.” _Did that come outta my mouth?_

The car was started at this point and they were driving to the airport. “Jed, what are you talking about? McPhee wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to any of you.”

“Well, actually my liege, Jedediah believes that Doctor McPhee hates him. Since the Doctor has taken over as guard, the two of them haven’t exactly gotten along.”

“He’s got it out fer me, Gigantor!” Jed told him. He felt like he had to defend himself almost since Octavius had opened his mouth. “I swear, everything I do, he flips out.”

“Okay,” Larry told him. “I worked for McPhee for years, I know he’s hard to deal with sometimes. He likes everything clean and tends to go a little nuts when something goes wrong. _But_ I also know that you don’t always make things easy at night, Jed. You gotta admit that you can make a bit of a mess.”

The tiny cowboy looked at Octavius, whose expression read, _“You do have to admit it.”_ Apparently, he wasn’t getting any help there. Jed made a face at him and tried to think of a different topic. “‘Ey, Gigantor, let’s say this Mirror thingy does exist. How are we supposed to find it?”

“Umm,” he watched Larry’s hand drum on the steering wheel a little, “honestly, not quite sure yet. Kinda hoping when we get to Egypt, Merenkahre will know something else about it or somebody else will. I’d prefer it if we didn’t have to just wander around the desert. My principal won’t really...like that idea.”

“Oh, yeah, yer a teacher now.”

“A very noble career choice,” Octavius chimed.

“Thanks.” Larry smiled a little at that. “To be honest, a lot of the kids make me think of you guys.”

Jed cocked his head to the side a little. “‘Cause they’re small?”

“No.”

“Because they’ll become great leaders in adulthood?” Octavius guessed.

“No, not that either. I mean, I don’t know, maybe some of them might be, but that’s not what I meant.”

Jed scratched under his hat. “...They’re...adventurous?”

“Of course, but that’s not what I meant either.” Larry explained. “I meant that as much as they drive me crazy at times, I can never stay mad at them.”

Jed grinned and looked up at him. “Awww. We missed you, too, Gigantor.”

“Never was there a moment where we did not think of our time together, my liege.”

“A’right, let’s not make it weird, Octy.”

* * *

 

Most people believe that there is nothing worse than an eternity in the Underworld.

Kahmunrah begged to differ with most people. 

His hat bumped into the side of the truck as it went over a bump in the road. He grumbled and felt it to make sure it wasn’t damaged. _What ever happened to using chariots to get around? Isis, you die for a few centuries and everything changes._

The back of the truck had become a bit crowded. It now held Shepseheret, Merenkahre, Ahkmenrah, the Tablet, Dexter, Teddy, Kahmunrah, and Sir Lancelot. _Why they thought he would be any help is beyond me._ He looked over to the other side of the truck to see Ahkmenrah and the knight talking happily, making up for lost time. _Oh please, go on with your conversation. It’s not like there’s a major threat to the world set to arrive at any time._

Another bump in the road and Kahmunrah had to repress a threat to the driver. His mother was in earshot, after all. _This trip is going to be the death of me...Metaphorically, of course. Here I am, stuck in a...whatever this horrid contraption was called with my father, Ahkmenrah, a dim-witted knight, Larry Daley, and a monkey! And I know I saw that loud-mouthed cowboy and his friend. And now this Zalaam character is going to rise and potentially wreak havoc on the world should he secure a body. Not to mention for all we know, we are on a fool’s errand for the Mirror of Wadjet while he takes over! It might not even be real! But of course,_ Father _would never admit that. Anubis_ forbid _there should be a flaw in his plans! And Ra help whoever dares to point out that Zalaam would never have had the chance to rise up if he’d killed him when he had the chance. He can never make a mistake, never admit that something is his fault. Someone else is always to blame._

A soft hand touched his own and it snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to meet his mother’s bright eyes. “I’ve missed you, you know,” she told him. “It’s funny really. All those years you drove me insane, but every day I’ve missed you.”

Kahmunrah felt his cheeks turn a bit red and glanced around to make sure no one could hear. Thankfully they were all distracted by other conversations. “What happened to you?” the Queen asked. “We were all supposed to be buried in the same tomb, but you were not there. Your brother told me that after my passing, you…” She paused and looked at the floor. “Well, it makes no difference now, I suppose. In fact, it is literally ancient history now, isn’t it?” She laughed a little and it occurred to him just how much he’d missed the sound. “The point is you are here now with your family.”

His scowl turned upside down a bit, and he knew there was no point in fighting it. His mother always had that effect on him, even on the worst days. “It is nice to see you again,” Kahmunrah admitted. _But if Father and Ahkmenrah get lost on this horrendous adventure, it would not be the end of the world._

His head collided with the wall again and the Queen jostled a bit. “Sorry!” they heard Larry shout front the front. “These roads suck!”

_For the love of Osiris, please let him drown in the Nile._

* * *

 

_“Hello?”_

“Hey, McPhee, it’s Larry.” He was doing his best to block out the airport noise around him. “So, I have some news that you probably won’t-”

_“Good, I’m glad you called. Are those trouble-making miniatures with you? And the monkey? I can’t find them anywhere.”_

“Technically he’s a capuchin and yeah, they all stowed away. I didn’t notice till I was already in Washington.”

_“Well at least I know they didn’t get trapped outside somehow. But when they get back, I swear...I’m sorry, what were you going to tell me?”_

“You know how you were hoping this wouldn’t be one of those save the world things?”

_“It’s one of those things.”_

“Yeah.” He sighed.

_“How does this keep happening to you, I mean really? Anyhow, what’s going on?”_

“Well it’s kind of a long story, but basically we’re on the way to Egypt because that black sand means some ancient enemy is coming back for revenge.”

_“Of course. Well, just try not to die and let me know what happens. If something happens, I have a bunker prepared.”_

“...Wait, seriously?”

_“No, that was sarcasm. I’m not crazy.”_

“Right, sorry. It’s been a long couple of days. I’ll keep you updated.”

_“I want my exhibits back in one piece.”_

“Believe me, after the Tablet’s magic almost died a few years ago, there’s no way I’m letting anything like that happen again. Scouts honor.”

_“You were a scout?”_

“No, that was sarcasm.”

An overly-peppy voice echoed throughout the building: _“All passengers for flight 106 to Cairo, Egypt, your flight is now boarding. All passengers for flight 106 to Cairo, Egypt, your flight is now boarding.”_

“Alright, I gotta get on my third plane this week. I’ll call when I can.”

_“Go on, go save the world. Try not to get heat stroke.”_

“No promises.”

* * *

 

As Larry drove his _third_ rental truck across bumpy road, he was thankful that Tablet wasn’t activated at the moment. _Looks like I have...a little under an hour until they all wake up. That gives me time to get some supplies. The airport was_ way _too busy._

He pulled to the side of the unpaved road to a tourist shop and stepped out onto the sandy streets. The city was bustling even though the sun was close to setting. Larry stepped inside the less-crowded shop and quickly grabbed a few bags of assorted nuts and dried fruits. He found a large canteen and figured that he should probably get it, in case this trip got _really_ long. As he approached the counter to pay - he’d exchanged a few dollars for Egyptian pounds at the airport - Larry looked around the rest of the shop. There were a few shelves full of ceramic animals like elephants and snakes, some packs of _Egyptian Gods and Goddesses Trading Cards_ that looked similar to baseball cards, expensive ancient weapons, and... _wait a second._

In a high up display case was a hand mirror that looked to be made of pure gold. The handle looked like the head of a snake with jewels for eyes. The tag read, “Mirror of Wadjet Replica- 150 pounds”. Larry’s eyes widened and he looked to the clerk at the counter. “Ummm… ” He waved his hand and the man looked over. “Excuse me. I’m sorry, do you...speak English?”

The man held his gaze and Larry started to worry. “You’re a tourist.”

“...Is it...obvious?”

He smirked a little and walked over in a polo shirt and loose pants. “Only very much. You should know that most people in Egypt are fluent in English. It’s taught in most schools in the cities.”

“...Oh.” Well now he felt kind of stupid. “Great. Could, um, could you tell me about that Mirror on the top shelf?”

He followed Larry’s gaze and Larry saw him smile a bit out of the corner of his eye. “Ah yes. It is a replica of the Mirror of Wadjet, a legendary magical artifact from ancient times. One could say it is an exact replica but...obviously, no one alive today knows what it looks like or if it was even real. But it is still quite well done.”

“Yeah, it’s really nice. So, what is like the whole story behind it?”

“Well, Wadjet is the goddess of protection. Legend says that the Mirror was blessed by her to protect the ancient people from dark forces. It is said to be hidden in an ancient temple dedicated to Wadjet.”

“And where would you find this, this ancient temple? Hypothetically.”

“It is said that the temple is located in the heart of Wadjet herself. The snakes will lead only the Protected to it.”

“Snakes?” Larry parroted. “Why snakes?”

The man laughed a little and gestured to the row of display _Egyptian Gods and Goddesses Trading Cards._ Larry found the one for Wadjet and looked it over. The picture showed a slender woman dressed somewhat like Queen Shepseheret. Colorful, rainbow wings flowed from her outstretched arms. Larry, however, was focused on the fact that the goddess had a cobra for a head. “Oh! Wow, okay then. So they’re like her...followers...okay.”

* * *

 

His eyes opened to the familiar darkness. For a moment, Ahkmenrah expected to push the lid off his sarcophagus and see the museum around him. To be surrounded by his friends. But everything that had happened the past few nights came back in waves: the black sand spreading across Egypt, his brother, Zalaam…

Slowly, Ahkmenrah sat up. Everyone else was already awake, he could hear them. As if on cue, the hum of the engine stopped and within a minute, the door opened, and everyone turned to look at Larry.

“A’right, we’re just outside the city and no one’s around. Come on, you’ve been stuck back here long enough. Ahk, just watch Dexter so he doesn’t run off.”

“Of course.” He picked up the capuchin gingerly and stepped out of the truck. The feeling of sand under his feet was so comforting. For a moment, it was as if every dark thought in his mind vanished.

And then Kahmunrah walked out and the feeling died.

“And just what city did you bring us to, Mr. Daley?” he asked in an annoyed tone...or perhaps that was just his regular tone. It was hard to tell the difference.

“Cairo. I figured it would be a good starting point. And it actually was because I know where the Mirror is. Kind of.”

“...‘ _Kind of’?”_ he mocked.

“Here we go,” Ahk mumbled to Dexter. 

“How exactly do you _‘kind of’_ know where the Mirror is?”

“Kahmunrah, allow him to explain,” the Queen told him. 

“Yes, it is not like you have any idea,” Merenkahre added sourly.

Kahmunrah’s head snapped to look at their father, but thankfully, Larry interjected.

“I heard from one of the locals that the Mirror is in some kind of ancient temple for Wadjet.”

“Here in Cairo?” Ahkmenrah questioned. _I know a few things have likely changed, but that just seems out of place for such a busy city._

Larry stuck his hands in his pocket and gave him a sheepish look. “Well, that’s where the ‘kind of’ kicks in. The legend says, “In the heart of Wadjet, the snakes will show only the Protected to the temple.”

“...And what does that mean?”

“I was hoping one of you knew.”

“Didn’t I say this would happen?” Kahmunrah began. “Here we are in the middle of Egypt with no idea where to go or what we’re doing. Meanwhile, there’s a very powerful man who’s already angry with us - or, more specifically, _you,”_ he gestured angrily to Merenkahre, who scowled in response, “and wants to take over the world.”

“This is no time to lose our heads,” Teddy said. _I’m not sure how my brother could lose something so large._ “If we want to get to Zalaam before he rises or worse, gets someone's body, we need to put doubt aside and try to find this Mirror.” Ahkmenrah saw his brother glare at him before looking at the ground. “Say it again, Lawrence, in pieces. Maybe we can figure it out that way.”

“The temple is in the heart of Wadjet.”

There was a moment of quiet as he waited for someone to say something. Ahkmenrah rubbed the back of his neck with the hand that wasn’t holding Dexter. “Well...Wadjet watched over Lower Egypt, which Cairo is a part of. But if that’s right, it could be anywhere in the Lower part. We don’t have that kind of time.”

He heard his mother make a kind of “hmmm” sound and turned to her. “But Cairo is not the capital. Memphis is. I would think that if the heart of Wadjet lied anywhere, it would be in the capital of her land.”

“Then we’ll start there,” Larry said. “And the snakes will lead the Protected to the temple. I know the snakes are because Wadjet has a...snake for a head.”

“But who are the Protected?” Teddy asked.

“Wadjet’s gift was to watch over women in childbirth and the great kings of Egypt,” Merenkahre explained. “I believe it means that her snakes will show either myself or Ahkmenrah the way to the temple.”

Ahkmenrah smiled but could feel his brother’s eyes glaring daggers at him. 

“Alright,” Larry said with a clap of his hands. “Let’s head to Memphis, then. The sooner we find this temple, the sooner we can stop Zalaam from coming back.”

“Victory is at hand!” Lancelot cheered.

“That’s the spirit.” Teddy smiled.

After taking a few minutes to stretch, they all got back inside the truck as Larry started them on their way. Ahkmenrah smiled as Lancelot sat next to him again. “Well, I bet you’re glad to be back here. Egypt is very unlike anything I’ve even seen.”

“Yes, it is. Don’t misunderstand, I love the museum and when all this is through, I’ll be glad to go back. But it’s been a long time since I’ve seen my home.”

“Were you even in this Memphis?”

“Oh, yes, quite a few times. We traveled around a lot of Egypt during Father’s reign, but never too far from the Nile...that’s the river,” Ahk added, seeing his confused look. “Memphis has a wonderful location; it sits right on the west bank. Some past pharaohs even built their palace there. I remember it was always just full of activity: erecting new temples to the Gods, constructing new statues. I remember a few times when I was younger, Mother and Father would let Kahmunrah and I go explore while they oversaw the construction. We used to get a couple of boats and race down the Nile...he always won.” Ahkmenrah leaned in so no one else could hear and whispered, “I think he cheated somehow.”

“Your brother doesn’t seem like someone who would accept losing,” Lancelot told him quietly.

“You can say that again.”

“...Oh, I thought you could still hear me. I said that your brother doesn’t seem like-”

“I heard you, Lance, it’s an expression.” Ahk put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a weak smile. 

“Oooh, right. He really is a grump, though. Does he ever smile?”

“If he does, it means Larry’s probably dead.”

He changed the topic and explained more of Egypt to Lance. It was a relatively quick trip given that Cairo was only about twelve miles from Memphis. When rumbling of the truck stopped and Larry opened the door again, Ahkmenrah could see that the sky was dark but full of stars. The sand crunched under his feet, but he didn’t take a step. His eyes widened in pure shock of what he saw...or rather what he _didn’t_ see.

 There was no city. No temples. Nothing but... _nothing_.

A firm hand grabbed his shoulder and pushed him to the side as Kahmunrah climbed out. “Get out of the way, you...what in the name of Osiris?”

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Lancelot mumbled at his side. Ahkmenrah was too shocked to answer him,

He knew he was dead. He knew that thousands upon thousands of years had passed since his death. He knew things were likely to have changed somewhat in that time.

But now as he looked at the emptiness that held so many memories, Ahkmenrah felt as if he was learning those things for the first time again.

He noticed Larry looking at him with a bit of concern. “...Is there anything remaining?”

Larry used his phone and the ever-confusing Google to find out the answer. “Looks like a few temples and statues are still around, but I’m not sure if we’ll run into them.” He paused for a moment before speaking in a soft tone. “I’m...sorry, guys. I know this must be really scary for you.”

Ahk looked at his family. Kahmunrah’s eyes were wide and had a far-off look to them. His father just seemed rather confused, and he understood why. His mother sighed after another minute and broke the silence. “On the contrary, Mr. Daley, the ruins of an ancient city would make a very good hiding place for Wadjet’s temple.”

Merenkahre cleared his throat. “Yes, I believe we are in the right place. Now all we must do is find a snake to lead us to its location.” 

“Then we’d better get going if we want to find one,” Teddy chimed.

“...So, we’re just going to drive around until we find a snake?” Larry asked.

“No, I’m just going to pull one out of my hat,” Kahmunrah snapped. “Abracadabra.”

“Kahmunrah,” the Queen warned, and Ahk saw her give him a stern look.

As they all got ready to go once again, Ahkmenrah took another look at the ruins that once held so much life and culture. _I can’t believe it,_ he thought sadly. _Everything I grew up with, everything I’ve known is just…_

_History._


	10. Chapter 10

As Nick got off of his motorcycle, he fought the urge to kick it over.  _ Apparently, I’m not even qualified to be a  _ janitor.  _ A  _ janitor! Mentally kicking himself for not doing better at the interview, he walked into the apartment building. The second he put his key into the lock, fear set in. The rent would be due soon, and he was running out of money.  _ Fast. _

Once inside the somewhat messy apartment, he sat on the couch and rubbed the back of his neck, nervously.  _ I gotta find a job, or I’m gonna lose this place. I  _ can’t  _ move back in with Mom; she’ll kill me. And I’m over twenty, I shouldn’t be living with my parents anymore!  _

_ But I can’t even get a job mopping up floors... _

_ How am I gonna keep taking Alexa out? She’s not the easiest person to say “no” to. I can’t lose her  _ and  _ the apartment in one shot.  _ He sighed and rubbed the sides of his forehead.  _ What the hell am I gonna do? _

After a minute, he knew there was only one thing he  _ could  _ do. Nick sighed again and took out his phone. His fingers automatically typed his dad’s phone number. As he put it to his ear and hoped for an answer, he started to plan out what to say.  _ Just be honest. Just say, “Dad, I’m really sorry about the other day. You were right and I was being stupid. I’m really screwed right now, can you forgive me and maybe give me a hand?” _

_...Of course he can forgive me,  _ he thought nervously.  _ He’s my  _ dad.  _ He has to. _

_ Right? _

_...Is he really not gonna answer me? Is he still mad?  _ Guilt was rising up inside of him like it was about to drown him.

_ “We’re sorry,”  _ said a robotic female voice.  _ “But the person you are trying to reach is out of cellular range. Goodbye.” _

Nick raised a brow and looked at his now blank phone. “Out of range?” he repeated.  _ Where the heck could he be that doesn’t have cell service? Did he forget to mention his trip to the  _ moon  _ or something? _

He tossed his phone on the cushion next to him and sat back. Now reality was really starting to set in. Now he was jobless with bills on their way and a girlfriend to please. Now he’d blown his money on a glorified bicycle. Now he was just...lost. He was confused and didn’t know how to get out of the situation without losing something.

Now he really needed his dad.

* * *

As far as the truck’s headlights shone, there was only sand: no trees, no people, and unfortunately, no snakes. They were deep into the desert now and there were no trails or roads. Larry’s eyes scanned every which way to look for any sign of a snake.  _ Do they even come out at night?  _ For once, he was wishing the museum had had a snake exhibit so he would know more about them. 

“Hey, Gigantor,” Jed began, snapping him out of his focus. 

“Hmm?”

“What are we gonna do if we can’t find one of these darned things?”

“Don’t say that, Jedediah!” Octavius told him. “We must stay positive.”

“We’re just gonna have to hope we find one, Jed,” Larry said.

“Yeah, but this Zalaam guy could come back any minute.”

_ “Positive,”  _ the Roman miniature repeated. “Good things are sure to come if we try to think on the bright side.”

“That’s the spirit, Octavius,” Larry told him. “There’s gotta be a snake somewhere.”

“Yeah,” Jed conceded. “This sure is a big desert though.”

He had a point. If they didn’t find a snake by the time the sun came up, they could be in trouble. They had a time limit but had no idea how much time they had to spare. But at the rate the sand had been spreading on the news, it probably wasn’t long at all.

Larry was snapped out of his thoughts again as the truck started to slow.  _ What? Why is it...oh no. _

“Uhh...Gigantor?” Jed asked. “I ain’t no licensed driver, but my gut says that when that there needle is on the ‘E’, it don’t mean ‘Excellent’.”

“Come on,” Larry mumbled as if he was praying. “Please no, not right now. Come on,  _ please.” _

Unfortunately, the truck came to a slow, death-like stop and Larry hit his head against the steering wheel.

“Why are we stopping?” Ahkmenrah asked from the back. “Do you see a snake?”

“If you do, I say we feed this horrid little monkey to it to gain its trust,” Kahmunrah told him.

“For the last time, we are not sacrificing your brother’s pet to anything,” the Queen said firmly.

“It was just an idea, Mother,” Kahmunrah explained in a more pleasant I’m-using-this-tone-of-voice-to-avoid-my-mother’s-fury kind of way. 

“This is not happening,” Larry chanted quietly. “This is not happening, this is not happening, we don’t have time for this…” He let out a frustrated sigh and started his way to the back of the now useless truck. 

“‘Think positive’, ya said,” Jed mocked. “‘It’ll make things better’, ya said.”

“How was I supposed to know this would happen?”

“Guys, just chill out,” Larry said.  _ I feel like that’s not going to work on the rest of them.  _ The moon was still high in the sky. The night was still young. They were definitely going to need the time now. He opened the back and started to feel a headache coming on. “So,” he began, staring down at the sand, “The van is out of, um...fuel...and we’re in the middle of the desert.”

“I’m not exactly a genius when it comes to automobiles,” Teddy admitted. “But I get the feeling you mean that we’ll be walking the rest of the journey.”

An echo of groaning and complaining followed, but nothing much.  _ Looks like I’m not gonna be able to get the deposit back on this truck…  _ “We still have a lot of time before sunrise. We can find a snake before that, I'm sure.” Octavius was right, they needed to stay strong. He had to keep up the moral. There was a strong enemy coming any moment. Nothing could get in the way between them and the Mirror. “Everyone just keep your eyes out for a snake. The sooner we get one, the sooner we get to the Temple.”

Larry walked behind the rest of them, so he was able to see everyone at once. Lance and Ahkmenrah were still catching up. Merenkahre and Shepseheret walked together, but few words were exchanged. It seemed that was just how their relationship worked. Kahmunrah walked alone, somewhat distant for the rest. Dexter was roaming freely and seemed to be enjoying the feeling of sand under his paws. Teddy walked a little in front of Larry but stopped for a minute so they were now side by side. “I don’t know a lot about Egyptian gods,” he began, “but I think it’s fair to say they don’t like you very much based on the luck you’re having.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Larry replied. “I’m half Jewish, remember? I just hope we find this Mirror before Zalaam comes back and finds a body to take over.”

“Very true.” They walked on for a minute before the wax president changed the subject. “So, what have you been doing these last few years? I know you said you teach now, but beyond that. How is young Nicholas?”

Larry’s stomach flipped. “Umm...Nick is, uh..”

Teddy arched a brow at his hesitation. “Nothing’s happened to him, has it?”

“No, no, he’s, he’s not hurt or anything. It’s just ...we’re not in the best place right now, me and him.” 

“Really? I must say, that’s a surprise. You always seemed to have such a close relationship.”

“He’s just...I don’t know what he’s thinking! I thought he was doing good, you know, on his own. I invite him over and suddenly he’s like, ‘Oh, I lost my job and bought a motorcycle to appease my girlfriend’, who I think he’s been dating for, what, six months? I thought he was really starting to grow up and mature. Then we got into this fight and now he hasn’t talked to me since.”

“I see.”

“I just- what am I supposed to do? He’s making a mess of his future! How is he supposed to pay rent? I mean, he’s gonna be throwing out application after application and just get rejected. He might even get evicted unless he lands some job like a dishwasher, or janitor...He just doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing anymore.” 

“Well, with all due respect, Lawrence, you were once in the same position,” Teddy said with a wise look in his eyes. “I seem to recall that when you first arrived at the museum, you were -in simple terms- a quitter. You took the position simply because you needed money, and yet you walked out on it twice before the week was up. You had no idea how to take control or hone your leadership skills....Scratch that: You had no leadership skills.”

“Is this advice or are you just tearing into me, or-”

“A bit of both, but I have a point. You were nearly at rock bottom when you arrived at the museum. Yet in the time since then, you have been put to the test countless times and have risen to the occasion. You saved the Tablet on more than one occasion, not to mention the lives of nearly everyone present and then some. Nicholas is now at the same point you began at all those years ago. What I’m trying to say is that life is an endless road of ups and downs. Sometimes you have to hit desperation before you start to really know where to go in life.” He put a firm gloved hand on his shoulder. “Don’t be too hard on the boy. I’m sure he’ll work it out.”

“I hope you’re right...Maybe I’ll try to give him a call when all this is -  _ Dexter!” _

But it was too late. Dexter had already thrown the ball of sand and he could only watch as it hurtled straight at the back of Kahmunrah’s head. His hat toppled off of his head and onto the ground. Larry looked at Ahkmenrah and saw a look of pure fear. Everyone stopped in their tracks. Kahmunrah slowly looked over his shoulder with a look that could make a grown man have an accident. His eyes were full of unbridled fury.

_...Aww crap. _

_ “That’s it, you little-” _

The second he started to run towards the capuchin, Dexter bolted. Before Kahmunrah could take more than three steps, Lancelot was behind him, doing his best to hold him back.  _ Aw crap, aw crap, aw crap, aw crap.  _ In a second, Larry had the older Egyptian’s other arm but found it wasn’t easy to restrain him even with Lancelot’s help. In that moment, chaos broke out. 

“My God, man, it’s just a hat!” Lance shouted. 

“We’re in a bit of a time sensitive situation!” Larry shouted. Both of them were mainly drowned out by Kahmunrah’s shouting.

“Try counting to ten!” Lancelot suggested.

“This is exactly why we shouldn’t have brought him along!” Merenkahre yelled to his wife over the present shouts. Larry saw the Queen quietly but furiously try to refute his point.

“Dexter, get back here  _ right now!”  _ Ahkmenrah was chasing around the animal responsible for this.

“This is no time to lose out heads!” Teddy shouted while trying to also round up the capuchin. 

From his pocket, Larry heard Jedediah attempt to whistle like he did back at the British Museum, but it didn’t work over all the noise. All over their voices combined into one giant sound to the point where Larry had no idea what anyone else was even saying. 

_ “This arguing will stop right NOW, or SO HELP ME, RA!” _

Just as quickly as the shouting began, it stopped the instant Queen Shepseheret raised her voice. Kahmunrah froze so quickly it was if he’d turned to stone. Larry and Lance looked at each other, as if they were mentally asking each other if they should let him go or not. Without a word, they figured that they should wait until they knew he wasn’t going to break Dexter’s neck.

The Queen flared her nostrils and exhaled loudly. Everyone watched as she walked over and grabbed Dexter, who had finally stopped running when she’d shouted. Merenkahre looked a few shades paler. She then went to collect Kahmunrah’s hat and brushed it off a bit. Still, no one made a sound. “Thank you, gentlemen, but you may release my son now. I assure you,” Larry saw her give a look to Kahmunrah that made the former nightguard shiver a bit. “He will no longer be any trouble.” He and Lance did as she asked. “Mr. Daley,” her voice was quieter but still firm. “If you would take this creature from now on so he causes no further incident, it would be very helpful.” 

Larry reached out and took Dexter. He honestly had no idea what to say.  _ I didn't know she got... _ angry. 

“And as for you.” She’d turned her attention back to Kahmunrah. “Control. Your.  _ Temper _ . You should not have to be physically  _ restrained _ just because a monkey throws a bit of sand at you.”

_ Holy cow, this is the quietest he’s ever been.  _ On top of that, Kahmunrah didn’t seem to be able to look his mother in the eyes. His cheeks were an odd shade of pink.

“If you have forgotten, a very powerful man is threatening not only our old home and our family but very likely, the entire world. I do not believe a monkey is worth risking those things. Do you disagree?”

Kahmunrah cleared his throat a bit and mumbled, “No, Mother.”

_ Man, I wish I could film this,  _ Larry thought. Seeing Kahmunrah squirm was quite entertaining. 

“That’s what I thought. I trust that we will not have this discussion again?”

“No, Mother.”

“Very good.” She handed his hat back to him, finally, and he replaced it back onto his head. The Queen looked around to the rest of them and concluded, “Now let us all carry on and keep our eyes out for a snake, alright?” There was a mix of nodding and mumbled agreement.

And they did. Everyone went back to what they were doing for the most part. Once Kahmunrah was out of earshot, Larry saw the Queen turn to him with a somewhat exhausted attempt at a smile. “I must apologize for that, Mr. Daley,” she began as they too started to walk along. “I’m afraid my oldest son is, umm...” She searched for a word. “I believe a more modern term would be a ‘hot head’?”

“Yeah, that about sums it up.” The Queen beamed a little, marveling at her use of terminology. Larry decided that this was a great opportunity to talk to the Queen about a few things that had been on his mind. Though he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t still somewhat intimidated by the fact that she was a royal. “So, umm...your highness?”

“Oh, there’s no need for formalities,” she said. “You saved my family. You may call me Shepseheret.”

“I’ll make a note of that.”

She gave him a confused look. “But you do not seem to have anything to write on.”

“What? Oh, no, no, it’s an expression meaning I’ll, like, try to remember that.”  
“Ahh, I see. Modern language is very interesting.”

“Yeah. So, I was wondering, um, could I ask you a question?”

“But of course.”

“Umm...Kahmunrah and Ahk...have they always been-”

“At each other's throats?” she finished knowingly. He nodded and she shook her head. “No, not always. Tell me, Mr. Daley, do you have siblings?” Again, Larry shook his head. “Hmm. Well, you see, as children, Kahmunrah and Ahkmenrah were much different from how you see them today. Yes, they had arguments, but they also had good moments. There was a balance to their relationship. 

“Now I will say that they were far from the best of friends. Honestly, I think the main problem with their relationship is that...well, I don’t think it was really... _ completed,  _ I suppose. By the time Ahkmenrah was born, Kahmunrah had already begun studying to become Pharaoh. He was always busy, so they never really had time to really just be children and form a bond. At least, that’s what I believe. 

“As they got older, things worsened. I think he is correct, Mr. Daley, in saying we favored Ahkmen in a way….Well, perhaps ‘favor’ is not the correct term for it. It makes it sounds like we did it knowingly, and that certainly wasn’t the case. I think it was more that we simply did not expect as much from Ahkmenrah. Kahmunrah was going to be the one to inherit the throne, and therefore we held him to a higher standard. He was not able to, shall we say, ‘get away with murder’ as his brother was because he would one day rule the kingdom. Does that make sense?” For the third time, Larry nodded. He really wasn’t sure what to do otherwise. 

“But from his perspective, I can see how he would think that we were favoring Ahkmenrah. This was when it started to worsen. The boyish arguing turned to full on fighting. Sometimes...physical ones. I know what you are thinking, Mr. Daley,” The Queen said, taking notice of Larry’s shocked look. “Ahkmenrah has never struck his brother first, but he will certainly defend himself. Anyhow, it finally came to its worst once Merenkahre decided that Ahkmenrah would inherit both the Tablet  _ and  _ the throne.” She paused for a moment, as if the memory was replaying before her eyes. 

“...I’m assuming that lead to another fight?”

She shook her head. “Even worse, I’m afraid. Sometimes words hurt more than fists. No, once Merenkahre made that choice, Kahmunrah claimed that he no longer had a brother at all. And he meant it, Mr. Daley. For the rest of my life and Merenkahre’s, Kahmunrah never spoke to him unless we forced him to.”

“But he’s doing it now.”

“Well, I think that’s because of the situation. Necessity. Or perhaps, it’s been so long since he said that he forgot about it. It’s very clear to see, however, that he still does not consider Ahkmen to be his brother. It...it is sad to say...but I fear that if this is still the way things are between my sons after so much time...perhaps it will never get better.”


	11. Chapter 11

Ahkmenrah walked alongside Lancelot, quietly. Lance was telling him a story about Trixie, but Ahk couldn’t seem to stay focused on it as hard as he tired. No matter what, his eyes remind on his brother. 

Kahmunrah was walking alone, a bit farther away from the rest of them. He’d said nothing at all for at least the past half hour, but it was clear he was angry. If he knew one thing about his older brother, it was that he was the angriest he could be when he was silent. 

_He’s always mad about something,_ Ahkmenrah thought. _I could probably count the occasions when he hasn’t been on just one hand. And all of those were before...well…_

Old memories began to bubble up, ones that he had long forced back: the arguments, the fighting, the toll it took on the family. He remembered vividly the moment when their father had decided it would be him that would inherit the throne. Kahmunrah’s eyes were full of fury as he stared right back into his as he said the final sentence he would to him for years: _“I have no brother”._

He sighed and looked at Kahmunrah again. _I wish I could make this better_ , Ahk told him mentally. _I want you to be happy. I want to_ make _you happy. I must have apologized to you thousands of times, but you refused to even look at me! And I’m_ still _not sure what you even want from me. I did not_ ask _to become pharaoh! To have all that pressure and responsibility was actually the last thing I wanted. I tried to change Father’s mind, you know I did._

_I don’t know what you want me to do…_

_Do you know I would do anything to change this?_ He wondered. _Anything. If there was a way to turn back time, I would in a moment so I could make this better. I want you to like me again. I want you to want to be around me._

_I want to have a_ brother _again._

Another sigh as Lancelot rambled on. _It doesn’t matter, I suppose. It’s not going to change._ You _aren’t going to change. You will_ never _apologize for anything you did to me or to anyone, and if you did, I fear it would mark the end of the world._

_When this is over, we will go back to how it was before. We won’t see each other again._

_Maybe_ that _will make you happy._

“But then,” Lance continued. “Just as I was lecturing Trixie about how wrong it was to chase after that ceramic frog, she made the _cutest_ little face. You know, I just can’t stay mad at-” He was interrupted as the strong breeze blew a piece of his hair into this mouth. Ahkmenrah couldn’t help but giggle a bit. “I can’t help it,” the knight told him. “The wind’s blowing it everywhere.”

“Yes, it does seem to have picked up...suddenly...Lance, hold on.”

Both of them stopped walking, and his friend gave him a concerned look. “What is it?”

_I remember this,_ Ahk thought. _Sometimes...when the wind would pick up like this, it would lead to-_

“What in the world are you stopping for?” Kahmunrah asked, having chosen _that_ moment to glance over his shoulder for probably the first time. Ahkmenrah looked up and his eyes widened in horror. But it wasn’t because of his brother.

“If I’m not mistaken, we’re in a bit of a _crisis,_ are we not?” But a gust of wind nearly knocked the hat off Kahmunrah’s head, and he turned forwards again.

An enormous wall of dust was racing towards them. 

“Everyone get down!” the Queen shouted. “It’s a _sandstorm!”_

As if on cue, the sand started to swirl around them, and the storm approached even faster. Ahkmenrah got to his knees and Lancelot did the same. He closed his eyes to keep the burning sand out of them and covered his nose with his hands. Within a moment, the wind was howling, and sand was brushing against him. _And just when you think things can’t get any worse._

* * *

 

The sand was blinding and was starting to sting his eyes, but Jed’s main focus was hanging onto Larry’s pocket. One hand was hanging on for life while the other held his hat that had nearly blown away. Once the wind had picked up, they’d nearly fallen out of the pocket. Now Octavius was clinging to one of his boots, his cape flailing in the wind and Jed was gripping Larry’s pocket like his life depended on it. If he let go, they’d be carried off in an instant. He wanted to get Larry’s attention somehow, but if he opened his mouth it would fill with sand for sure. _Just hold on,_ he repeated like a mantra. _Just hold on._

As best as he could, he looked over his shoulder at Octavius. The Roman had a panicked expression and both of his hands were clutching Jed’s boot. His cape was blowing every which way behind him. _Don’t lose your grip, partner. We just gotta hold out fer a while longer and it’ll be over. Please, just don’t let go._

His knuckles turned white as he tried to hold on through the strongest gust of wind so far. His teeth were gritting in his mouth.

Jed didn’t realize the moment when he lost his grip, it was so quick. In a split second he was flying through the air. Through the sand, he saw Larry and the other get smaller and smaller.

* * *

 

Kahmunrah held his hat tightly with one of his hands. The wind was powerful, and his hair was flying everywhere, the gold bits rattling against his back. With his other hand he was covering his nose and mouth like his parents instructed him when he was young. Sandstorms only lasted a few minutes, usually, and of course this one was no different. Just as quickly as it came, it vanished as if nothing had even happened. 

Slowly, he opened his eyes. The sand was settled, and the storm was out of sight. He could see Ahkmenrah curled up under Lancelot’s arms. His father was shielding his mother. Dexter - who Kahmunrah wished had blown away with the storm - was with Teddy. Larry looked up from his crouching position and rose to his feet, the rest following suit.

“Well,” his mother said, brushing off her pearl white dress. “I think that’s _one_ part of Egypt I do not miss.”

“You can say that again,” Ahkmenrah agreed.

“Wow, sand really does get everywhere,” Larry added. He watched as the night guard emptied out his pocket, which was now full of said sand. For some reason, the man visibly paled.

“Lawrence?” Teddy asked.

Without a word, Larry started to wave the light from his flight light around on the ground. _For the love of Osiris, what is wrong with him?_ Just to add to the others’ confusion, Larry got onto his knees and started to move the sand around underneath him in some sort of panic.

“Mr. Daley, have you misplaced something?” Queen Shepseheret asked in a concerned tone. 

Larry froze and looked up with wide eyes. “They’re gone.”

_“What_ is gone?” Kahmunrah asked. He was quickly losing his patience...whatever patience he had left, that was. 

“Jed and Octavius were in my pocket, and now they’re, they’rejust _gone._ ”

“What?” Ahkmenrah asked frantically. _Always getting himself into a panic, of course._

“Are you sure?” Lancelot said.

“I don’t know, I don’t see them anywhere.” Clearly Ahkmenrah wasn’t the only one freaking out. “Guys, no one move around, they could be anywhere. Look around your feet.”

“Lawrence,” Teddy began in a grim voice. “I’m sorry to say but with the speed of those winds, it’s likely they were carried off into the desert.”

Not caring about the conversation, Kahmunrah was working on getting the sand out from underneath his nails. _Well, the monkey may still be around but at least we got rid of that loud-mouthed cowboy. Perhaps there is a silver lining._

“We’ve got to go find them.”

Kahmunrah’s head snapped to look at Ahkmenrah. “...There must be sand in my ears. You did not just say that.”

He gestured to the desert in front of them. “Who knows where they could’ve landed. If we don’t get them back, they’ll become dust at sunrise!”

“Oh, stop being so dramatic.”

_“Dramatic?”_

“Yes, dramatic. If you have not noticed, we are in the middle of a desert and they are _this big_ .” Kahmunrah made their height with his fingers to illustrate the point. “It would take _hours_ to find them, perhaps even days, and if you’ve forgotten we are in a bit of a time sensitive issue at the moment.”

“Well, we can’t just _leave_ them!”

“Of _course_ we can!” Kahmunrah shouted, approaching the younger Egyptian. By this time, his temper was beginning to flare. 

“They’re my friends, how can we just abandon them?!”

“Ahkmenrah is right,” Lancelot cut in. “It is our duty to protect the small and defense-”

“Oh, stay out of this, you moron,” Kahmunrah snapped.

“Kahmunrah!” his mother shouted.

“Don’t speak to him like that!” Ahkmenrah shouted. _Oh, dear, I’ve made the pampered prince angry. Now I’m in for it._

“Enough of this foolishness. We are losing moonlight.”

“For the last time, we are going after Octavius and Jedediah!”

Kahmunrah snarled and felt as if he was talking to a brick wall. “Have you _honestly_ been in this museum of yours so long that you’ve lost touch with _reality?”_ he shouted. “They. Are. _Plastic._ They aren’t real people! I cannot _believe_ you are actually risking the fate of Egypt and possibly the _world_ for something you can _replace!”_

Ahkmenrah’s mouth was hanging open. 

“We are going on as planned. We’re finding a snake, getting the Mirror, and stopping Zalaam. End of story. You’ll just have to get another Jeremiah and Octowhatever when this is all over.” He turned away and took a step before Ahkmenrah spoke again.

“Turn around.”

Flaring his nostrils, Kahmunrah turned to face him again. He’d barely put his foot in the sand again before a fist collided with the left side of his jaw. The force of the impact nearly knocked him off balance and he stumbled back a bit.

_“Ahkmen!”_ the Queen shrieked. 

Kahmunrah looked back at him with wide eyes, touching the side of his face that was now stinging.  A furious finger was just an inch or so from his nose.

“Now you listen to me, Brother.” Ahkmenrah growled. “My friends are not _replaceable_ and no matter what you say they are in fact _very_ real. And I will not stand here in silence while you _insult_ them and suggest I simply abandon them. Now, you may do what you wish, but the Tablet is coming with me. So, unless you want to wander the desert alone and turn to dust in a few hours’ time, I suggest you remain _silent_ and come along.” 

Kahmunrah could only stand there in utter shock. 

“Alright, alright, let’s both take a step back and relax,” Teddy said as he approached them and stood in between them. “Fighting isn’t getting us anywhere. We need to think about this rationally. Now, Ahkmenrah, you are correct. We should at least try and go find our friends. However, Kahmunrah also has a point that we are in a very serious situation and we cannot stray too far from our current mission. Therefore, I suggest we take three hours to search for them. No more, no less. If we can’t find them in that time,” he paused and placed his hand on Ahkmenrah's shoulder. “Then we have to carry on. As tragic as the situation is, the fact is we have limited time and they are very small people in a very big land. Zalaam could rise at any moment. And we have to find some kind of shelter before the sun comes up.”

Ahkmenrah sighed. “...I understand.”

Teddy gave him a faint smile and clapped him on the back. “We’d better get looking then.”

“Kahmunrah, come here, dear. Let me see your face. Oh, it’s not even swelling, that’s good,” his mother cooed. But he barely noticed her. The only thing that kept replaying in his mind was the way Ahkmenrah had just spoken to him and how he still felt a slight sting on his face. It was as if his brain was trying to convince itself that what just happened...had really happened. 

“Does it hurt very much? Do you want me to kiss it?”

That snapped him into reality. “No, no. I’m fine, Mother, really.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slightly shorter chapter, yes, but the next part...there's some parts that can't be cut up in between two chapters. What are we all thinking? And as always, thank you for comments, kudos, bookmarks, and for keeping me going! :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI HELLO YES I AM SO SORRY  
> I did not mention this because I didn't think it would change the updating schedule, but I am doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). And because of how much I have had to work on my original novel now, I TOTALLY forgot to update! I'm sorry, here it is. Don't worry, this won't be a trend. Thank you for your patience.

Jedediah had sort of blacked out after he’d let go of Larry. When he snapped back into the real world all he saw was darkness. He tried to take in a breath but found it to be impossible. Fear set in quickly. _Octavius! Where’s Octavius?!  Where the hell am_ I? He moved around and felt something familiar in his hands.

_Sand! I’m in the sassafrassin’_ sand!

He started to flail around, trying to see just how deep he was. His legs seemed to be somewhat free, but that meant he’d fallen in the sand upside down! Jed started to kick, hoping that would help his situation. Now he was sure that the Tablet gave him lungs because they _really_ needed air.

A pair of hands suddenly seized his left foot and started to pull, almost taking off his boot. Jed felt himself moving upwards slowly, and once his arms were nearly out of the sand, he was able to lift his head up and take a deep breath. When he did, the hand let go of his boot and he was able to sit back on his knees. _I hate sand. I officially really. Hate. Sand._ He grabbed his hat from the sand and brushed it off. A familiar voice filled him with happiness.

“Why is it,” Octavius began, “that whenever we find ourselves in the presence of Kahmunrah, you manage to get stuck in the sand?”

“Those things do seem to go t’gether, don’t they?” Jed said once he’d caught his breath. He got up and brushed himself off, then looked at his friend. “Wait, how come you ain’t all sandy?”

“Well, I managed to hang onto your boot until we started falling to the ground, by some miracle. Once that happened, I used my cape as a parachute and landed safely on the ground not far from you.”

“...Remember all those times I mocked the way you dress?”

“Vaguely.”

“Well I really do regret that now.” 

With that, Jed looked around at their surroundings. Well, as much as he could, given that it was literally just sand. “How far out do you sup’ose that storm carried us?”

“I’m not sure, but I certainly hope that our friends are nearby.”

Jed cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, “Gigantor?! Ahk?!”

Octavius followed. “Ahkmenrah? Teddy?”

They waited and listened closely for any sign that someone had heard them. The silence was deafening. Both of them called out for a few more minutes before Octavius spoke again. “I’m afraid we are too far for them to hear us. The storm could have carried us anywhere in the desert.” 

Jedediah looked over the sandy plain again, hoping to see some sign of hope. He sighed and rubbed his neck, looking down at his shoes. “Man, I sure am sorry, Octavius.”

“...What do you mean?”

He wasn't able to look the Roman in the eyes. “I shoulda listened. To you and to Gigantor...and maybe even McPhee. We shoulda stayed in the museum. Now cuz o’ me, we’re stuck on here and no one knows where we are. The sun’s gonna come up in a few hours and...”

A moment passed in silence when a hand seized his shoulder. Jedediah looked into his friend’s eyes. “If that is the case,” he began. “Then there is no one I would rather watch the sunrise with.” And he somehow managed to smile at the cowboy. That was something Jed always liked about him: Even in the worst times, Octavius always found a way to smile, and they turned out to be highly contagious.

“...Thanks, Octy.”

“Besides,” the Roman clapped him on the back. “The night is not over yet. Perhaps there is still a way for us to get back to our friends.”

“Ya think?”

“We may as well try, right?”

The smile Octavius has given him grew on Jed’s face. “Man, what would I do without ya, partner?”

“Probably get stuck in some sand.”

“Have I said lately how much I hate sand now?”

“You may have mentioned it.” Octavius changed the subject back to the matter at hand. “Perhaps we could write some kind of S.O.S in it with our feet. There should be enough moonlight for them to see it if we make it big enough.”

“Ya think that’ll work?”

“It’s all I can think of, honestly.”

With that, they began to work. Jedediah dragged his foot around in the sand to make one ‘S’ while Octavius worked on the other, and they planned to meet in the middle of the ‘O’. _Sure hope I’m makin’ this big enough,_ Jed thought as he started the lower curve on his letter. He looked over at Octavius to see if his was the same size, but lost interest in it quickly. In the distance behind his friend, something was moving around in the darkness. “Octavius.”

“Yes, I know my ‘S’ is a bit messy, but it’s the best I can do with my foot.”

“No, _look.”_ He pointed to the mysterious creature that was keeping its head to the ground. 

The Roman looked over his shoulder. “From what I can see,” he said after a moment. “That animal has too much of a bushy tail to be Dexter.”

Fear was starting to set in. “What sorta creatures do ya think are out here?” 

“I’m not sure. But I will tell you it’s larger than us and coming this way.”

“We’ll come on, let’s run for it!”

“ _No_ ,” Octavius told him quickly. “I don’t think it has noticed us yet, but if we move, it will. Stay right where you are.”

“Well, what are s’pposed ta-” Jed was cut off mid-sentence. A pair of eyes were glowing in the shadows and staring right at him.

“...I think it can hear us,” Octavius whispered. 

As the animal got closer, he could see two large, pointy ears and a long, bushy tail. It had a kind of tan, sandy colored fur coat. It’s nose was pointed, and it was about the size of a small dog, but it still towered over the museum miniatures. It’s white paws bounded over to them quickly. _Me an’ my big mouth._

“Jedediah, come over by me and whatever you do, remain calm,” Octavius ordered. Picking up on the seriousness in his voice, Jed did just that without a word. The animal trotted over to investigate them. 

“What’s the plan?” Jed whispered.

“Do you recall the squirrel from the Smithsonian?”

“...Oh, yeah. That was cool.”

“Let’s just hope it works on...whatever this thing is.”

With that, he straightened and approached the animal. Jed watched as he removed his cape and tossed it in front of him, lightly. The animal walked over and lowered its head to smell it. As it did, Octavius slowly took another step and reached out to touch it. Jed held his breath, but the animal did nothing but continue to examine the cape. He sighed as Octavius started to stroke its nose. When he did, the animal’s eyes grew wider and a strange sound filled the air.

“Is it...purrin’?” Jed asked.

“I think that would be the word for it, yes.”

Jed got closer and without warning, Octavius took hold of his hand with his free one. He started petting up higher, toward the creature’s forehead. After a moment, he dared to climb onto its nose as it continued to purr. It’s eyes followed them, and it began to raise its head up. Jed quickly snatched the cape back up before following Octavius, who still had his hand. Within a minute, they were both seated between the animal’s long ears. Jed handed him the cape. “That was mighty brave, walking up to this...whatever this is like that.”

“Thank you.” The Roman smiled. “With such large ears, I bet this animal could hear our friends very easily.”

“Ya got a point there. Only thing is, we don’t know which direction they could be in.”

“Well, let’s think logically...I believe we were traveling Northwest, and the wind was blowing...Yes, I believe that direction is the best try.” He pointed to the right.

Jed shrugged. “If you think so, then let’s get this thing movin’ and find ‘em.”

“Onward, strange fluffy creature!” And with that, they started off into the desert with high hopes.

“...Hey, Octavius?”

“Yes?”

“You, uh _..._ you can let go a’ my hand if you wanna.”

“Hmm- _oh!_ Yes, now that we’re safely on the-” He cleared his throat and let go of the cowboy’s hand. 

* * *

Larry had probably checked his wristwatch twenty-seven times in the last two minutes or so. It had been well over an hour and he was really beginning to worry. _I should’ve been holding onto them. Of_ course _the wind would have carried them off, why didn’t I realize?!_ His hands were cupped around his mouth as he called out for what felt like the thousandth time. “Jedediah?! Octavius!” Larry’s voice combined with the shouts of everyone around him. 

Through the yelling, he could pick out Kahmunrah’s voice as the Egyptian half-heartedly shouted, “Annoying cowboy...Slightly less annoying Roman…” He had a feeling that he was only doing _that_ much to appease his mother. 

_We have to find them. We_ can’t _go back to the museum without them. I couldn’t live with myself if I knew that they turned to dust because of me._

“Octavius, Jedediah, where are you?!” Ahkmenrah called desperately.

_Man, Kahmunrah is lucky his brother hit him before I did, because if he hadn’t, some Egyptian teeth would be in the sand,_ Larry thought as he continued to shout. _They may be wax, plastic, or whatever they are, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t_ alive. _God, they’re like family to me! Then again, I think Kahmunrah has a distorted definition of the word “family”._

“Lawrence, do you have the time?” Teddy asked.

Again, he looked at his watch. “We have about an hour and thirty-eight minutes.” Teddy gave him a grave expression.

_We_ have _to find them,_ Larry chanted mentally. _We_ have _to. They’re in this desert_ somewhere... _God, I just hope they’re safe._

* * *

“Okay, let’s see,” Jed looked around the area. “I spy with my little eye...somethin’...gold.”

“Sand.”

“Right again.” _I think that’s the twentieth time we used that._

Octavius seemed to really think before taking his turn. “Alright...I spy...something blonde.”

“Is it the sand again?”

“No.”

That took him by surprise. _We’re in the desert, what else could it be?_ Jed looked around for a minute, and even wondered if maybe his friend was seeing some kind of mirage before he realized. “It’s me, isn’t it?”

“Correct!”

“We’ve been doing this forever, how did you not use that before?”

“I’m not sure. It was so easy, I didn’t even consider it. Either way, it’s your turn.”

Jed sighed and looked around at the nothingness again. “Okay, I got one. I spy-”

He was cut off as the animal they’d hitched a ride on came to a stop all the sudden. It’s ears perked up in excitement. “I think it hears somethin’,” Jed said.”

“Let’s just hope it’s not a bigger animal.”

The creature started moving again, this time a little quicker. Jed squinted in the moonlight to try to see anything coming. They went over a few sand dunes, but still couldn’t see anything. “...Maybe somethin’ spooked it?” Jed questioned.

“Perhaps. If that’s so, let’s hope it doesn’t catch up to...wait...do you see something over there or am I imagining things?”

Jed looked over to where Octavius was pointing. _Let’s see, there’s sand...more sand...sand and then more-_ His eyes widened, and he straightened his back. In the moonlight, he could see the silhouette of a person. A cape was trailing behind them, and someone else was only a few steps behind with a long sword on their hip. “Wait, that’s _Ahk!_ That’s Ahk and Lancelot!”

“We found them! Well _done,_ bushy tailed animal!”

Jed threw up his arms and waved quickly as they got closer and closer. “Ahk, we’re over here! Hey, Ahkmenrah!”

“We are atop this strange animal with above average hearing!”

* * *

Ahkmenrah hadn’t shouted this loudly since the days he was stuck in his sarcophagus. “Octavius?! Jedediah?!” _Wherever could they_ be? _I hope they didn’t get carried too far off, or we’ll_ never _find them. The museum won’t be the same without those two! Who's going to run my foot over with a toy car? Who will drive McPhee up the wall?...Well, Dexter will do that, but we still have to get them back!_ “Jed, Octavius, where are you?”

Lancelot’s arm suddenly stopped him as the knight took a step in front of him. “...What is it?” Ahk asked nervously.

“A strange creature has its eyes on you.”

“Strange creature?” He looked around to see what his friend was talking about. A small, tan colored animal with a bushy tail was approaching them. “Oh, that’s nothing to worry about. That’s just a fennec fox. They’re harmless.”

“If that is the case then why is it coming right towards you?”

“It’s not coming right…” Ahk arched a brow as he realized that _yes,_ the animal was racing right up to him. _That’s peculiar. It’s a wild animal, it should not enjoy just walking up to people. What could be-_

His eyes widened to the size of half dollars. On top of the fox were two small insect-like creatures flailing their arms. “Lance...Lance, I think you found them!”

“I did?”

“Yes!” He turned to look at the rest of the group. “Lancelot found Jed and Octavius!”

“I did something!” Lance smiled, throwing his arms up. 

“Thank God!” Larry exclaimed. He started to run towards the animal, passing Ahkmenrah, when the Egyptian seized his arm.

“Don’t! You'll scare the fox and it will run off with them on it.”

He could not fault him for being excited by any means, though. Ahkmenrah was more relieved that they had found the two miniatures than he could put into words. The feeling of dread finally left him as he sighed a bit, as if he had been holding his breath until that moment. 

The fox approached him and obediently sat down. The young pharaoh smiled as Jedediah and Octavius slide down the animals back and onto the sand. They were there for less than three seconds before Ahkmenrah gently picked them up, knowing Jed’s great dislike of being “manhandled”.

“Thank Ra we found you!” He smiled. 

“Are you okay?” Larry asked quickly. “Are you hurt? What happened? God, I am _so_ sorry! I should have been holding onto you, but there was sand in my-”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down before ya pass out, Gigantor,” Jed told him. “We both know ya can’t control ol’ Mother Nature.”

“And we are perfectly fine, my liege, thanks to this desert creature.”

“Well, there’s sand in my boots,” the cowboy added.

Ahkmenrah heard Larry audibly sigh. “The museum would not have been the same without you,” the Egyptian told them.

“Aww, thanks, Ahk.”

“You two just can’t stay out of danger, can you?” Teddy smiled, approaching. “Good to have you back, lads!”

Ahk handed them back to Larry, grinning. But his face fell when he saw how low the moon had gotten. “Anubis, where did the time go? The sun is set to rise in just an hour or so!”

“Alright, let’s not panic,” Larry said. He took his phone out and started to hit a few buttons. “I think I should be able to use GPS without cell service.”

Ahkmenrah waited patiently, having no idea what that meant, but figured Larry had some kind of idea. 

“It looks like there’s some kind of temple not too far. The Temple of Ptah.”

Are you sure it is still standing?”

“According to this, yeah.”

Ahkmenrah chanced another look at the lowering moon. “Well, let us hope that your Google device does not lead us astray.”


	13. Chapter 13

The temple was not as he remembered it, but Ahkmenrah had expected that by this point. It was much older looking, and parts of it seemed to have fallen over. They walked towards the entrance, between large, stone pillars into the stone temple. _We used stone for a lot of things, didn’t we? Then again, we didn’t have half of the materials people today do._

“If we walk all the way to the back,” his mother began. “We will be far out of the sun’s reach. I am sure there is a place without windows or anything.” And sure enough, they found just the place. Ahkmenrah couldn't help but notice how empty every room was. _I suppose everything that was found is now in a museum somewhere._ It was strange even still. He could feel the ghosts of the past, could picture things that were no longer there.

He took a seat next to Lance as everyone else found a spot. Dexter scampered over and curled up next to his leg. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten all the trouble you caused today,” the young Egyptian said. “You really must stop making everyone so angry, e _specially_ my brother. We have a very serious situation on our hands. You cannot just…” Dexter was looking up at him, his brown eyes growing larger. “Don’t look at me like that. You are still...oh, I cannot stay mad at you. And you know it, don’t you, you devious thing?” He gave in and started to pet behind his ears. 

After a minute or so, he felt the power of the Tablet - which was still safely in Larry’s backpack- start to wear off. His last thoughts were filled with worry for the night to come. _We have yet to find any sign of a snake, and Zalaam could be returning_ right _this moment._

* * *

After filling out application after application, Nick had finally decided to take a break and went for a ride on his motorcycle. He could barely hear the blaring construction and shouts of Manhattan as the sound of the engine filled his ears.

 _If I don’t get a job soon, I’m screwed,_ he thought, turning down another street. His Dad still hadn’t called back even though it was now well into the afternoon, and each time Nick tried to call, it still said he was out of range. _Where the heck could he be?_ There was too much going on. Too many questions spinning around him. He needed to clear his head.

It was then Nick realized what road he'd somehow started driving down and what was just a few blocks further. Within minutes, he cut the engine and stepped off his bike. The Museum of Natural History didn’t look any different than he remembered it. He’d thought about going inside once in a while these last few years but thought it would be a bit depressing not being able to see everyone up and about. Now that his dad wasn’t working there anymore, there was no more coming in after closing. 

But at that moment, he wanted to see them. He wanted to see his friends’ old faces and remember the good times they’d had. _Maybe this will help me think of what to do,_ Nick hoped as he opened the door. _After all, museums are all about gaining knowledge and stuff, right?_

Once he’d paid the admission fee - something he’d never done before - his first stop was to see Rexy, who was right in front. Vivid memories came to the forefront of his mind of the nights when he and Ahkmenrah would ride the dinosaur all around the museum. _Man, it’s crazy how long ago that was._ He walked around a bit more before coming up to someone who he _really_ wished he could talk to. Teddy was the best with advice, hands down. He would know what to say. If the Tablet was just active, Teddy would explain the best solution to Nick in a flash. He’d know what to do about his dad, and maybe give him some job help as well. Teddy-

Teddy wasn’t there.

For some odd reason, Texas the horse was where he belonged, but his Rough Riding rider was nowhere to be found. _That’s...weird,_ Nick concluded. _Maybe they had to...I don’t know, clean him or something._ After puzzling over that for a moment and praying nothing happened to the wax president, he walked into the Hall of Miniatures, but found that after scrutinizing each tiny model, he couldn’t find Jedidiah _or_ Octavius. Now he was _really_ beginning to worry. _They’re so small, some kid could just stick ‘em in their pocket. Or step on them! They should really have some glass or something here. Why can’t I find them?_

Nick stopped and took a deep breath. _It’s a museum. Sometimes things have to be cleaned or repainted and stuff. I’m sure that’s what happened._ But, he wanted to check a few other things to make sure this wasn’t some sort of pattern. He was relieved to find Attila and all his Hun friends in their rightful places. The cavemen - one of which resembled his dad and gave Nick a wave of guilt - were still in their exhibits, as was the lovely Sacajawea. _See? It’s fine. No big conspiracy, just normal museum stuff._

He made his way into the Hall of African Mammals and remembered all the times the ferocious lions had scared him as a kid. To be honest, their large teeth still made him a bit nervous as an adult. But everything seemed to be normal. There were wildebeests, a few rhinos, a warthog, the group of capuchins in their tre-

“Dexter,” Nick said quietly aloud, not really realizing it. _That makes three people I can’t find. Is this museum just falling apart and they need to fix them all?_ A dark thought bubbled up. He remembered the year that his father started his own company and quit being the nightguard. All the exhibits were going to be moved into other museums or archived away. Was that starting to happen again? _They can’t separate them, they’re like a big family. And they’d stop being alive! It wouldn’t be fair, they can’t speak up for themselves!_ Just as he was beginning to worry again, he thought of someone who would have a much worse fate if he was moved somewhere else.

Nearly knocking into an older woman, he darted back down the stairs to the Egyptian exhibit. _They can’t do this. If Ahk goes to another museum, they won’t unlock his sarcophagus! He’ll be stuck in there again just like when I met him! Maybe_ forever. He wove around the other people until he finally got to the exhibit. Or what was left of it, at least. The sound of hammering filled his ears as he got closer to the construction. There was a handful of handymen scrambling all around with drywall dusted clothes. _No way. Are they tearing down the exhibit?!_ Glancing into what he could see of the room, his stomach filled with dread when he couldn’t see either of the two Jackal guards, Ahkmenrah’s sarcophagus, or the Tablet. _Don’t tell me they already moved him. Please, for the love of God, tell me I don’t have to go searching for him somewhere. How would I even_ find-

“Young man, excuse me,” called an irritated British voice. Nick turned to see a familiar face coming up to him. “If you couldn’t tell be the signs and the construction tape, this exhibit isn’t open to the public at the...oh, it’s you.” Dr. McPhee said in a less-annoyed tone as he stood in front of him. “Larry’s son, umm...God, what’s your name? I know it, I swear.”

“Dr. McPhee!” Nick said, happy that he’d found someone who could explain what was going on. 

“No, that would be my name. Nathan? No, _Nick._ That was it.”

“I’m so glad you're here.”

“...Well, I do work here, but thank you, I suppose? I’m more surprised to see you, actually. Sort of figured you would be with your dad.”

Nick barely acknowledged the man’s sentence. “What’s going on? Where’s Ahk?”

“Hold on, hold on, no need to get all worked up. I’ve got everything in the basement until all this is done. Didn’t want it getting messy, you know. I’m having the space enlarged. Unfortunately, with these Neanderthals, I’m worried it might not be done before he gets back. It’s really hard to find good help these days, you know. _.”_

He sighed knowing that the exhibit wasn’t being destroyed when the full sentence fully processed in Nick’s head. “Wait, what?”

“I really should fire them, but then I’ve got to get someone new, and that will take _more_ time-”

“No, no, I mean...You said, ‘when he gets back’. I thought you said Ahk was in the basement.”

Dr. McPhee gave him a very confused look. “No, I meant the sarcophagus, guards, and all the other things are down there. Pharaoh Ahkmenrah is with your father. Didn’t he tell you any of this?”

Nick was about to explain the situation with his father, but another thought took over. “Wait, you…” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “You know about the Tablet? And like, what it does and everything?” 

“Of course I do,” the doctor mumbled back. “That girl night guard from London told me. Apparently, your father thought I could finally know about it. You didn’t know about that either? I bloody work the nights now, are your just avoiding your dad?”

Nick brought his voice to a normal level again and rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes started to admire his shoes. “I mean… We kinda had this fight and I walked out, so now, it’s all kinda messed up.” He quickly changed the subject. “Wait so...where are they? Dad and Ahk?”

McPhee cleared his throat before motioning to follow him. Nick did so and they walked towards the office. Once the door was closed, Nick sat down and waited for the doctor to explain. “I didn't want to discuss this in public, just to be safe,” he began, sitting at his immaculate desk. “You see, umm...Good God, where do I start with this? Do you watch the news? Of course not, you’re twenty-something-years-old. Well, basically, your father heard that there was some sort of black sand forming down in Egypt and that it was starting to spread around.” 

Nick leaned in, interested. He thought he remembered overhearing something like that going around. 

“He came here to talk to Pharaoh Ahkmenrah and when he didn’t know, they phoned his parents using the Tablet.” 

 _It can do that?_  

“Now I don’t know all the details here, but I guess this is some ancient Egyptian thing that involved him and his family. So now your father, Pharaoh Ahkmenrah, his brother, parents, and God knows who else are down in Egypt trying to fight whatever is causing all this.”

Nick sat there in shock for a minute. His eyes widened as something the man had said brought a massive amount of fear back into his stomach. “Wait did you say Ahk’s brother? His brother as in _Kahmunrah?”_

He nodded. “From what I heard, they needed the whole family for this.”

“Kahmunrah as in the guy who almost killed my dad?! _That_ Kahmunrah?”

“Do you know any others?”

“Aw, man, what do they need _him_ for? What if he tries to get revenge or something? Or takes this black sand stuff and uses it for something evil? He could kill my dad and try to take over the whole world!”

“Well, if this sand doesn’t stop, there won’t be much of a world to take over.”

Nick let out in an exhausted sigh and brought his hands to his face. _I should be there. I should be there making sure Kahmunrah doesn’t get Dad killed. God, that stupid fight ruined_ everything. Another sigh and he looked back  to McPhee. “So, is that where Teddy is, too? And Jed and Octavius and whoever else is missing?”

“Yes, those three and the monkey took the Tablet and left.”

“Capuchin.”

“Little Demon more like it. Him and those miniatures can’t seem to leave the museum in one piece. I haven’t been able to get barely any cleaning or maintenance done at night, I’m always chasing someone around.” He got up and opened the door. 

Nick took the cue and got up, his mind everywhere else. “Well, thanks for filling me in, Doctor McPhee. I really appreciate it. Sorry for freaking out a bit, but after I saw a few people missing, I thought maybe-”

“Oh, heavens, no,” McPhee said firmly. “No, now that I know that... _you know..._ No, they’re not going anywhere, as much as I consider shipping those miniatures and that monkey to Timbuktu sometimes. If anything, we’re going to add things, not remove them.”

“That’s really good to know. Guess I’ll be on the way then, hoping the world doesn’t end.”

“If it does, I’ve got a bunker prepared.”

“...Wait, seriously?

“No, that was sarcasm. Why does everyone keep thinking I’m serious?”

Nick laughed a bit, something he hadn’t done in a while, and started to walk out. After taking a few steps, he thought for a second and turned around. “Hey, umm, Doctor McPhee?” The man looked at him again. “You know I could maybe help out if you want. Tonight with the cleaning and everything?”

“...You’re volunteering to clean a giant, dusty museum?”

“Yeah, I mean... I don’t know, I’ve got a lotta good memories here, you know?”

“If you’re referring to the nights where your father snuck you into my museum overnight without me knowing, then yes. I am now well aware. But I suppose I could use some help.”

Nick smiled. “Thanks, Doctor McPhee.”

“Be here at closing then?”

“You got it. See ya later.” 

Nick finally left the museum and got back onto his bike. As he drove back towards his apartment, he thought about everything that was going on: The black sand, Kahmunrah, the end of the world, his dad in danger, not being able to call him...

 _Man. The museum was supposed to help me_ clear _my_ _head, not make me even more crazy._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Nick has finally been filled in on what's going on. Don't worry, the next chapter will be in Egypt again! And as always, thank you for the lovely comments, kudos, and bookmarks.


	14. Chapter 14

Larry's eyes opened too soon, he could feel it. Groaning, he looked at the time.  _It's what...one in the afternoon right now? Stupid jet lag. They won't be up for like, four more hours._ Sighing, he fished in his bag and ate some of his food before wondering what he was supposed to do.  _I'm in Egypt with a bunch of sleeping museum exhibits, hoping some crazy ancient enemy isn't coming to kill us all._

Figuring there was no way he could fall asleep again, he got to his feet and decided to walk around.  _God, my back feels like it's in three different pieces. Guess that's what happens when you sleep on a stone floor._ He squinted in the bright sunlight once outside as the sand crunched under his shoes.  _This is crazy,_ he thought.  _Zalaam could be coming back right now. And if he gets a body, we're screwed. Even if this legendary Mirror does exist - which, if it doesn't, we're dead - we have to get to it before he comes back. What are we gonna do if this doesn't work? I just want this to be over. Kahmunrah can get back to the Smithsonian, Ahk's parents can go back to Britain, and everything will be normal again. Ahk can enjoy his new room and be with his friends, and I'll go back to my class and see Ni...well, I guess I'll have to call Nick when I get back first._

He walked around in the desert for a while, periodically checking his watch and drinking the water in his backpack. All was quiet apart from the occasional swirl of sand, carried on a light breeze.  _I will never complain about New York weather again. No wonder Ahk used to say it was cold in the museum. And how the heck did sand get into my shoes? There's no holes in them._ He paused and lifted up a foot to grab his shoe, but never took it off. Something in the sand caught his attention.

There was a winding trail near his feet, one he hadn't noticed while walking and almost missed. The trail was a bit faded, but it was clear by the curved shape that went from left to right what had left it. Larry's eyes widened with hope as he forgot about his shoe and followed the snake's trail.  _I hope it didn't get too far. Wait, do they travel in groups? If they do, I'm gonna be in trouble. I don't even know how I'm gonna catch_ one  _snake. Man, I wish they were awake right now. Ahkmenrah or someone probably knows how to grab one of these without getting hurt._

The trail started to get clearer as fear started to well up in Larry's stomach.  _I gotta catch this thing. We_ need  _to get to this temple ASAP. Zalaam could come back at any time. If we have to waste tonight looking for another snake in the dark, we're as good as - there it is!_ The snake was slithering slowly in the sand. It was a pale-yellow color with a hood on the sides of its neck.  _Cobra. Great. Those are totally venomous. ...But that's_ also  _the kind of snake I saw on Wadjet's trading card in that shop. This has to be the kind that'll show us where to go._

He took a deep breath and grabbed his backpack, rummaging through it while following the snake.  _There's gotta be something I can use to help. God, what am I supposed to do? Hit it over the head with the Tablet and knock it out? No, that's too heavy, that'll kill it. Plus, it's gonna be really quick. Oh! Wait, maybe this'll work._

Slowly, Larry moved closer to the snake and grabbed a spare shirt out of his bag. _If I cover its head with this, maybe I can grab it quick and put it in here. Or I get bit and die out in the middle of the desert. This should be fun._ Larry replaced the backpack and held the shirt in both hands.  _This is insane. I can't believe this is really happening. I really wish one of the Egyptians was awake. Specifically, Kahmunrah. I would really enjoy watching him get bit by a snake. Okay, focus, Larry! Not the time for this._

He slowly followed it for another moment, making sure that it didn't know he was there before tossing the t-shirt over its head. It snapped up and its hood puffed out. Larry held his breath, but the snake slowly lowered itself back into the sand, even curling up under the shirt as if it was trying to hide from him.  _Okay, okay, this is good...except...now it's all curled up so I can't tell which part has the poisonous fangs. Great. Umm…_  Larry looked around a bit before finding a small rock and tossed it gently at the balled-up snake. Like lightning, sharp teeth pierced through the fabric and the hood of the snake was back up.  _Okay, well, there goes that shirt. Now I just have to...pick up the snake. Okay...one, two...two and a half…_  He reached out quickly and seized the creature very close to its head so it couldn't turn and bit him.  _Get in the bag get in the bag getinthebag!_ He dropped it inside and quickly zipped it up before it could try to attack. Larry sighed and just sat in the sand for a moment. His muscles could finally relax.  _Okay, that was terrifying. But I got it. I got the stupid snake and there is no more venom in me than there was when I started. Thank God._

_I hate the desert._

The sun had finally gone down, making the temple just a  _bit_ creepier to Larry. He would've used his flashlight to find his way back to the exhibits, but there was a venomous snake coiled around it at the moment. When he entered the room, everyone was awake and on their feet. "Evening, Lawrence," Teddy greeted. "Ready for another night's adventure?"

"More like another night of wasting our time," Kahmunrah quipped.

"A real ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Lancelot said.

"Actually, I managed to use the time pretty well, for your information." Larry smirked. "Pharaoh Merenkahre and-or Ahkmenrah, I've got a snake for you." He set the backpack down in front of him with a smug expression. The look on Kahmunrah's face was priceless.

"You caught a snake?" Ahkmenrah asked. "Alone? Larry, that was insanely dangerous! You could have been killed and we wouldn't have known."

"We need to find this temple before Zalaam comes back."

"Well, yes, but, but  _still."_

"That was quite brave of you, Larry," Lancelot congratulated.

"Thanks. So, um, how does this work? Like how do you get the snake to show us where to go?"

Merenkahre and Ahkmenrah, being the only two the snake would obey, looked at each other. "I am not quite sure how it works," Merenkahre admitted.

"I suppose we should just try to...ask it?" Ahkmenrah suggested.

"Oh, yes," Kahmunrah began, finally out of his shocked state. "By all means, try to converse with the venomous snake. I want to see what happens."

"Kahmunrah!" his mother shouted. "Both of you, please, be careful. We don't know what could happen."

"Don't worry, Mother, whatever happens the Tablet can repair. I will do it, Father."

"If you insist."

_I really wish I'd thought to buy some antivenom or something,_ Larry thought. Ahkmenrah approached the backpack and Larry got down to unzip it.  _This better work. Please, let it work._ "You ready, Ahk?"

"I suppose as much as I can be."

He nodded and took a deep breath. Slowly, the bag was unzipped and within a moment, the cobra poked its head out, slowly slithering out. Ahkmenrah watched it closely and cleared it's throat. He began to speak in his native tongue and Larry could only imagine what he was saying. "'Ana 'ahkaminrat , mulk misr alrabie." The snake looked up at him, as if curious. The hood on its neck stayed down and Larry took that as a good sign. "Min fadlik , hal ymkn 'an tuadiy 'iilaa aistikhdam maebad Wadjet alkhafy?"  
The snake studied him for a moment before lowering its head back down to the ground. As if in a trance all of a sudden, it slithered around the backpack and past Larry, heading towards the exit of the temple. "Did...did it work?"

"I think so."

"Well, then by all means, let's follow it before it gets too far," Teddy stated.

Larry replaced his backpack and placed Jedediah and Octavius back into his front pocket. "Hey, Gigantor, ya think this snake knows where it's goin'?"

"I sure hope so, 'cause it's all we got."

The desert was a bit cooler now that the sun had gone down. The others were ahead of Larry with Kahmunrah leading the pack once again. Ahkmenrah was nearby, walking alone. Lancelot had gotten into a conversation with Teddy. "Hey, Ahk," he began after he'd caught up to him.

"Larry, I'm sorry we haven't been able to talk much since we got to Egypt."

"Don't worry about it, it's been crazy. No, I just...I know yesterday was pretty bad, especially for you, so I kinda just wanna make sure you're okay."

"Oh, I'm quite alright, thank you. I'll be even better once we have this mythical mirror." He smiled. It was clearly a mask.

"I mean, I know your brother just won't stop pushing your buttons, so…"

"Believe me, Larry, he's been doing it for years."

"Well, only a lil' longer, hopefully, and then ya can kiss his keister g'bye." Jedediah interjected.

"Yes," Ahk mumbled, noticeably quieter.

Larry caught the change in his tone. He cleared his throat as his eyes traveled down to his pocket. "Guys, could you, um, give us a minute?"

Octavius and Jedediah caught on quick. "Say no more, my liege. We are not even here."

"Yeah, y'all take your time. We'll just be, uh...down here." They both sunk down to the bottom of Larry's pocket.

Ahkmenrah looked at him, curiously. "I just wanted to talk to you," Larry began, "Because I know your relationship with Kahmunrah is...really complicated, and I know that's gotta be hard on you."

"Thank you."

"I um, talked to your mom the other day and she kinda...told me what happened, how he...ignored you for years after you became king."

Ahkmenrah looked to his feet. "Yes, he did. He didn't say a word to me for years and then he just left me."

"I'm really sorry...wait, left you?"

"She did not tell you that?"

"Umm, no...You don't have to talk about it, though, if you don't want to. I don't want to-"

"No, it's alright. It was thousands of years ago; it really doesn't matter now. A few years after I started ruling, long after Father had passed, Mother got sick. Within a few weeks, she passed away as well…" His tone had fallen to a monotone, detached sound now. "I think that was the only reason he stayed as long as he did during my reign, for Mother. He didn't have any other reason; he wasn't talking to me. The morning after her burial, I woke up, and he...he was just gone. No note, nothing. Just packed his things, took a chariot, and left. I think he was probably planning to gather some followers and try to overthrow me or something. Or perhaps he was just sick of watching me sit on the throne he swore up and down was his...It really doesn't matter anymore."

Larry walked in quiet for a moment.  _So, he just had to rule all by himself, all his family was just_ gone.  _God, Ahk was alone way longer than I thought he was._ "...I'm really sorry, Ahk. He shouldn't have done that to you." It was weak, but he had no idea what to say. Larry put a hand on his shoulder and got a small smile from Ahkmenrah.

"Thank you."

"Hey, soon enough, we'll be back in the museum and we can forget this ever happened. Okay?"

"I look forward to it. Let us just hope this snake knows where to go."

**A/N:** Finally off to the temple next chapter! What are we thinking? Also, thank you for any comments, kudos and bookmarks! :)


	15. Chapter 15

Kahmunrah was following close to the snake so as to not hear the moronic conversations behind him. Sometimes a poisonous snake was just preferable.  _We must have been walking for at least an hour, this thing is probably just going in circles. I can't believe he actually_ asked  _the stupid snake to lead us to the temple! He even said 'please'! This is ridiculous. We're following this stupid serpent all around the desert, looking for some mythical temple that apparently has some ridiculous magic mirror that can...why is it stopping?_

They were in the middle of the desert with nothing in sight and yet the snake was now up straight like it was waiting for something.  _What in the name of Anubis?_ The others caught up to them quickly and observed the situation. "What's it waiting for?" Lancelot asked.

"Perhaps the  _snake charmer_ has to give it a new order," Kahmunrah snapped.

The snake spun around on its scales to face the group and looked at Ahkmenrah. It focused on him for a moment before starting to dig in the sand. It burrowed deep down, popping back up once in a while. They watched in confusion until it had made a sizeable hole.  _Oh, well done, Ahkmenrah. You broke it._ But the snake backed up a bit and seemed to be waiting for something once more. Ahkmenrah approached it tentatively and got onto his knees to study the hole.

"What do you see?" Larry asked.

"It's some sort of symbol," he told them. "It looks like a beetle."

"What?"

Kahmunrah went over - keeping a wary eye on the snake - to see what he was going on about. His eyes widened. There was in fact some sort of panel there with a golden beetle facing West. "What do you suppose it means?" Ahkmenrah asked.

That earned a snort. "You're the magic snake whisperer. Figure it out."

The younger Egyptian glared up at him before turning back to the mysterious beetle. He reached out and touched it, gingerly.  _This is going to take a while,_ Kahmunrah thought, crossing his arms over his chest. "It almost looks like...if you…" Ahkmenrah reached out and grasped the beetle before turning it so it now faced North. Without warning, the ground started to shake under their feet and the snake quickly got out of the way. The sand in front of them was sinking down into a large hole that was suddenly appearing.  _What in the world?!_ All of them stood in awe, well, as well as they could stand with the quaking under them.

After a minute or two, it was finally revealed. The golden sand had given way to a hidden staircase. Kahmunrah looked inside of it but could only see a few stairs before pitch darkness. "Well," Teddy began. "Guess we found the Temple!"

"Oh, well done, Ahkmen!" Queen Shepseheret cheered, causing Kahmunrah's face to turn a bit red.  _Any fool can turn a beetle...that's an odd sentence._

Larry moved towards the front with his accursed flashlight in hand. "One step closer to Zalaam," he said. With that, the former night guard began to walk down the steps. Ahkmenrah followed only a step behind. Kahmunrah walked down after the rag tag group, the steps a bit precarious with all the sand, yet nothing he wasn't accustomed to. It was completely dark apart from the small beam of light from the flashlight. Step by step they traveled down deeper under the desert sand into the unknown. After what felt like eons, the stairs ended. Kahmunrah squinted in the near darkness, trying to see just what was inside the mythical temple.

"It would be nice if there was some more light in here," Lancelot stated.

In a blink, torches that were once invisible on the walls ignited in bursts of brilliant flame, one after the other, down the hall.

They waited, stunned for a moment, before Lancelot spoke again. "Ha! Fire that ignites on command. Ahkmenrah, your culture is full of surprises."

_Moron,_ Kahmunrah mocked mentally, rolling his eyes.

"Should we be concerned?" Larry asked.

"Don't do anything stupid and we'll be just peachy," he quipped. That earned a warning glare from his mother.

"No matter what caused that to happen, we can't let it spook us," Teddy said. "Whatever is down here, I think it's safe to say that anything this Zalaam has up his sleeves can do much worse if we don't stop him."

That seemed to satisfy the group and they pressed on down the long hallway. It was fairly wide with many winds and turns. The walls were made of solid stone, a familiar structure to the Egyptians. As they got farther down, a dark green curtain came into view, concealing something new. It looked drab, plain, definitely something that didn't belong in an ancient temple.  _What exactly is it hiding?_

Larry paused at the curtain and looked over at Lancelot, who grabbed the hilt of his sword and nodded. Without a word, Larry tore the curtain down and he and Lancelot went inside, both ready to fight whatever monster could be guarding the Mirror. Kahmunrah watched impatiently as both men looked around cautiously, then saw their eyes widen dramatically. "What is it?" the Queen asked. "What do you see?"

"Well, it's...it's a lot of- of," Larry had apparently lost the ability to form a cohesive sentence.  _Oh, this is taking long enough as it is!_ Fed up, Kahmunrah passed the waiting crowd and stormed into the room. He opened his mouth to shout, but his jaw went limp and the fists at his sides opened.

The room was  _massive,_ as big as the throne room in the palace he'd grown up in. All around him were  _mountains_ of treasure, tributes to worship Wadjet, who had many statues scattered around the room. Golden coins, rubies the size of his palm, sapphires of all sizes, chalices, diamonds, every gem imaginable! It was all right before him.

"Well, bleach my boots, boys," he heard Jedediah say from not too far away. "We hit the jackpot!"

"Do not get so excited, my friend." Octavius began. "This is not what we came here for."

"You're right, Octavius, we shouldn't touch it. Ahk," Larry said breathlessly, having remembered basic speech skills . "Hold onto Dexter."

The cowboy and capuchin, however, weren't the only one who had eyes for the riches.  _By Ra,_ Kahmunrah thought.  _Had I found this when Ahkmenrah was in power, I could've bought an army! A kingdom of my own! No! Egypt itself! I would have had everything! And to think right under my feet was- No! What am I thinking? If it seems too good, it is. Obviously, this was put here just to distract from the_ real  _treasure. A mere diversion. That way no one gets close to finding-_

"The Mirror!"

He turned to where Teddy's gloved hand was pointing. Above the wealth, at the top of a smaller flight of stairs, was the legendary Mirror of Wadjet. Even from his distance, Kahmunrah could see it. It was the size of an ordinary hand mirror, one you could find on the average woman's dresser. The handle was made to resemble a golden cobra with small, red rubies for eyes. It's presence gave him an eerie feeling. Like the Mirror was looking right at him. No.  _Through_ him.

Larry began to walk up the steps as the others cheered about the discovery, but Kahmunrah remained still and silent.  _This seems...odd. Why is up on a pedestal like that? Even being in a hidden temple, it still should be concealed, not promoted. Who would want something so powerful to be so easy to get once you've found the temple? You may as well hang a sign that says, "Here I am! You've found me! Have fun trapping dark souls!" It's just so..._ simple _. Why is there no-_

Everything clicked in his head just as Larry's hand began to reach out for the Mirror. Panic seized him as he tried to move past the excited crowd of people who were all around the room. "Mr. Daley,  _don't!"_  he shouted, beginning to climb the stairs, nearly tripping a time or two. "Don't touch that Mirror!"

But the damage was done before he got to the last stair. Larry had the Mirror in his hands when he turned to face him with a nervous look. "What, what's wrong, what could happen?"

Kahmunrah watched in silence. By this time the rest of the group was quiet, having heard his outburst. He waited for a sound. For something to move. For  _anything._ But nothing happened.

"Kahmunrah?" The sound of Ahkmenrah's voice behind him suddenly made him jump a bit. "What's the matter?"

"What in the world are you going on about?" his father snapped. His mother simply gave him a slightly confused, concerned look.

"Er...nothing. It was nothing," he told them, straightening. But his brain was still reeling.  _I thought we would have encountered at least one…_  His eyes widened. He'd turned around to where the Mirror had just been a moment ago. The pedestal it had been on was lowering slowly, noticing the missing weight. "Trap."

"What?" Ahkmenrah asked.

As if on cue, the temple itself began to tremble.

"It's a trap!" he yelled. And with those three words, chaos occurred. They all broke into a run, Larry somehow getting in front of both Egyptians, the Mirror still in hand.

"Hurry!" Teddy shouted. "We can still make it out before it falls!"

A sickening sound filled the massive room, even over the earthquake. Before his eyes, Kahmunrah saw the ground he'd been about to step on crumble and fall. His breath caught in his throat as he managed to stop on his heels and balance himself as best as he could to prevent falling. An orange glow filled the hole and his eyes gazed in horror at the river of red.

_"Lava!"_ Larry shouted, having narrowly escaped falling himself. "We're over a pit of molten lava!"

"I don't like Egypt anymore!" Lancelot shouted, trying to avoid the falling floor pieces.

Kahmunrah was racing around the floor as more and more stones plummeted down into the lava below them. The mountains of gold fell through the holes or spilled onto what remained of the floor. He watched as his father ran back down the hall, his hand on his mother's shoulder. The others soon followed, Larry being the last one he saw. His foot slid on a few gold coins, and for once he was glad to hit the floor. Scrambling back to his feet, he saw that most of the floor was gone. A large chasm had formed in front of him now, the red and orange light coming up like Set himself was awaiting.

_Oh, for the love of Osiris, I_ really  _don't want to die a second time!_ Doing his best to keep himself collected, he began to sprint. Holding his breath, he jumped over the lava pit, doing his best not to look down at the swirling river of red and orange. He could feel the heat even though the lava was at least one hundred feet below him, and he hoped it stayed that way. His hands grabbed for the floor in front of him, gripping it tightly. As fast as possible, he began to pull himself up before the floor could give anymore.

_"Kah!"_

His head snapped to look down towards the voice. Ahkmenrah was clinging to a few stones on the wall of the chasm, his panic-filled eyes looking up at him. Quickly, Kahmunrah let go of the floor with one hand and reached his arm out, the muscles reaching their maximum.

He could only watch as Ahkmenrah raised his arm up, trying to grab him. It was so close,  _so_ close, but still not enough to reach.

Kahmunrah stretched as far as he could, trying to get so much as a finger, it was just out of his grasp! Sweat was building up on his neck, and worse, his palms. The second he felt skin touch his hand, he seized it and started to pull them both up. Ahkmenrah released the other rock he'd been clinging to and grabbed onto his forearm. Kahmunrah struggled to pull himself up due to the added weight now, but after what felt like forever, he got his head over the ledge and started to raise Ahkmenrah up as well. His legs dug into the wall of the chasm as he finally got onto the floor again, Ahkmenrah climbing up as well.

Quickly, he got back to his feet and yanked Ahkmenrah up, sprinting to the hallway, kicking gold coins in his path. He pulled Ahkmenrah down the hallway, his hand still on him.

**A/N:** Hands down one of the most anticipated chapters of my writing thus far. But just you wait! (Great, now I'm thinking of  _Hamilton._ ) Also, I know this is a bad spot but 1. I can't find a good spot to cut the next part, it's a very good chapter and 2. I'm evil. Thank you for all the comments, kudos and bookmarks!


	16. Chapter 16

His lungs were burning as Larry finally reached the top stair out of the temple. One hand covered his front pocket to ensure the miniatures didn’t fall out while he’d run. Teddy grabbed his arm and moved him away from the temple’s entrance. “Are you alright?” he asked in a panicky tone.

“Yeah, I’m fine, I’m fine,” Larry said as best as he could, still catching his breath. “Is anyone hurt? Everyone get out okay?” He scanned the crowd around him to see if any of them were injured. Just as he did, the Queen began to yell.

“Ahkmen? Kahmunrah?” she asked, frantically looking around. “Boys, where are you?! Merenkahre, were they not behind us?!”

“Ahkmenrah, where are you?” Lancelot called out.

 _Oh, God, no._ “Are they still in the temple?!”

 _“No!”_ The queen shrieked and began to run back to the entrance. Merenkahre wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her back.

“Shepseheret, you cannot go back in there, you’ll perish!”

_“My children, I have to get my children!”_

In his panicked state, Larry almost didn’t notice the suit of armor running past him. “Lance, no!” His hand managed to grab the cool metal on the knight’s arm and Teddy thankfully did the same with his other one. “You’ll melt in a second!”

“I cannot let them die in there!”

“It’s _suicide!”_ Teddy told him.

 _“Ahkmenrah, Kahmunrah, come to me now!”_ The Egyptian mother was in between shouting and sobbing.

Trying to restrain Lancelot, Larry stared down into the temple. _Please come out, please come out, please, please, I can’t lose any of you again, please be okay, dear God, please!_

“Lancelot, there is no chance in saving them!” Teddy shouted. “You will only kill yourself as well!”

Larry’s white-knuckled hands almost lost their grip on the struggling knight and he feared either him or the Queen would rush into certain death. The weight of the man’s armor suddenly hit him as Lancelot fell backwards. Larry hit the sand hard but got up quickly. Just as he was about to seize Lancelot again, all went silent. No one moved apart from the two figures who had fallen onto the sand nearby, their gasping the only sound.

Kahmunrah and Ahkmenrah barely had a moment before the Queen broke free, crying openly now, and fell to her knees in front of them. She wrapped her arms around them as best as she could and Merenkahre was heard giving a loud sigh of relief. _“Don’t-you-ever-scare-me-like-that- aga-a-a-ain,”_ she choked out in between her cries. 

“We weren’t exactly planning on it,” Kahmunrah mumbled in an exhausted tone. 

Larry’s body finally relaxed, the muscles going back into a state that didn’t make them feel like they were one fire. _That was way too close. Holy crap. They almost freaking died. I almost let them freaking burn up in that temple. We have to get this over with. I can’t keep risking their safety. I almost lost them once._

Everyone seemed to be allowing the distraught mother a moment with her children, even their father. Her sobs had subsided, and she was now kissing them both on the cheek, switching off after two kisses or so. “Oh, sweetheart,” she said to Kahmunrah after a moment. “You’ve got some dirt on your face.” Without another word, she licked her thumb and brought it close to him.

Kahmunrah brought up his hand up in an attempt to intercept hers. “I’ll get it, I’ll get-” His nose crinkled up and his eyes closed as his mother’s wet thumb rubbed against the smudge of dirt. “...Thank you,” he said when she’d finished, not at all convincingly. The Queen gave a contented sigh and hugged each child again before finally getting up, allowing her sons to do so as well. Merenkahre approached, seeing his wife had calmed down. He looked at both of his children, his face stoic. “I am extremely thankful that the gods have returned you to your mother and me. If something had happened, I have no idea how we would be able to go on.” 

And that was the end of it. Larry couldn’t help but notice that Merenkahre wasn’t very good with emotions. _Guess he leaves that up to his wife._ There was a moment of quiet after that, the only sound being the swirls of sand carried by a slight breeze. 

 That was the only cue they needed. 

 All at once, Lancelot, Teddy and Larry raced up and surrounded Ahkmenrah. They all spoke at once and so quickly that Larry - who could only blurt out, “Thank God, you’re okay, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.” - only caught a few words here and there. Lancelot sounded like he was cheering, and Teddy was saying something about how the museum wouldn’t have been the same without him. It was a cacophony of noise until a loud whistle cut through it like a knife. All of them looked to Jedediah and Octavius.

“Gigantor, yer about this close to crushin’ us if ya hug Ahk like that again,” the cowboy said. “Speakin’ a’ which, thank goodness yer okay! Ya almost got barbecued quicker than a road lizard on a hot desert day in July!”

Over the years, Larry had observed that Jedediah spoke more “cowboy” when he was flustered or excited. Thankfully, Octavius spoke up as well. “Indeed. We would not have known what to do without you, my friend.”

The young Egyptian smiled at them and opened his mouth to say something but was cut off as Lancelot picked him up off his feet and spun him around. “Thank Ram you’re alright! I had my doubts about your funny little snake gods and dog people but thank Ram for keeping you safe!”

“Lance, I think you might mean ‘Ra’.” Larry smiled.

“Thank him, too!” the ecstatic knight shouted. “Had your brother not knocked me over as you ran out, I would’ve barreled in there to get you, believe me. I am not letting you out of my sight again. For the rest of this trip, I promise to not let you down!”

“And I thank you for that, my dear friend, but...could you please let me down?”

“Hmm? Oh, right.” He set Ahkmenrah down on the ground and patted the top of his crown with a smile. Larry couldn’t help but laugh a bit at that. Lancelot then turned to the other Egyptian son. “And you! I know we don’t know each other that well, but I’m glad you’re alright for Ahkmenrah and your parents sake!” He stretched his arms out and approached Kahmunrah.

“Touch me and it will be the last thing you ever do.”

“I am going to back up to where I was previously standing.”

Rolling his eyes, Larry turned his attention back to Ahkmenrah, a hand placed firmly on his shoulder. “I am _so_ sorry, Ahk, I thought you were right behind-”

“No apology needed,” he interrupted with a smile. 

“ _Yes,_ apology needed, you almost died. God, for a second, I almost thought you weren’t gonna make it out of there.”

“Well, it wasn’t easy but...” Larry watched as Ahkmenrah’s looked away for a moment. He followed his gaze and was surprised to find it lead to Kahmunrah of all people. “I, um, managed, as you can see.”

Larry decided to ignore that and focus on the fact that Ahkmenrah wasn’t a puddle in a river of lava. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“So am I - _goodness!”_ Ahkmenrah jumped a bit as Dexter jumped up onto his shoulder and hugged his face. “It seems you’re happy to see me as well, hmm?” He reached out and started petting the animal, who in turn, sat on his shoulder like a parrot with a pirate. 

“I still don’t understand how you got him to like you so much,” Larry admitted.

“I honestly have no idea.”

Teddy put his own hand on Ahkmenrah’s shoulder, the one Larry’s had just left. “We’re gonna have to keep a closer eye on you, it seems. Even in your own land, you find a way to get into trouble.”

That got a bit of a laugh, but it was cut short for some reason. Ahkmenrah turned back to him with wide eyes. “The Mirror. You did get it, did you not?”

“I have it right here.” He held it up for him to see. “...I can look into this, right? It’s not gonna, like, suck out my soul or something?”

“No, only if you are a dark force. I am just glad it didn’t fall into the lava! Now all we have to do is find Zalaam’s soul and trap it inside. Do you know where we should go next?”

“Yeah, umm,” Larry went to reach around for his backpack but looked at the Egyptian and his family. He thought of what could have happened, how they were nearly mourning rather than celebrating.  “You know what, I’ll handle this. Let’s just...why don’t you all just take a break, okay? Literally, this night could not have gone worse - okay, scratch that, it totally could have. But why don’t we just take a break and I will figure out what to do next, okay?”

“We need to find him before-”

“Ahk, you almost died, you and your brother,” he said firmly. “I can handle this.”

“He’s right,” Teddy told him. “After what has just happened, I think we should all stop and allow ourselves some time to collect ourselves. We have the Mirror now, the journey has almost ended. We can stop somewhere and after a while, Lawrence will have found out what to do next.”

Ahkmenrah looked like he was about to protest, but his eyes glanced back at his family, then back at Larry. “Maybe we should stop for a bit,” he conceded. 

Larry gave him a knowing smirk and took his cell phone out. He got into his Maps and tried to figure out if there was anywhere, they could go that wasn’t the middle of the desert. “The Nile river is nearby,” he suggested.

“Oh, the Nile!” the Queen grinned, having returned to her happy self. “So many good memories”.

 _Perfect._ “Looks like if we head West, it’s not far off. And we’ll still have plenty of moonlight left to find Zalaam later,” he assured them. There were a few murmurs of agreement.

As they started off again, Kahmunrah once again tried to get in front of the group, but to Larry’s surprise, Teddy approached him and placed his gloved hand on Kahmunrah’s shoulder. Side by side, he noticed that Kahmunrah was a bit taller than the president. “Well done,” Teddy told him simply. A knowing smile was under his moustache. For some reason, those two words make Kahmunrah’s eyes widen drastically, as if he’d seen a ghost. He roughly removed Teddy’s hand and strode off, quickly.

 _What is he congratulating him for? Not dying?_ Confused, Larry walked up to him. “Hey, umm...what was that about?”

Teddy’s bright eyes looked at him. “What? Kahmunrah? Oh, he just doesn’t want his little secret out. Figured someone ought to say something to him, though.”

 _Wow, that didn’t clear anything up at all._ “What, what _secret_ am I missing here?”

“You didn’t see it? I thought you had; you were right next to me. I know we were both focused on Lancelot...well, maybe I shouldn’t say.”

“...Oh, um, okay. Never mind then.”

“That was a joke, of course I’m going to tell you,” Teddy told him quickly. “I love a good bit of gossip. Just don’t go teasing him, hmm? That goes for you two as well.” He eyed Larry’s pocket.

“Hey, our lips are sealed, amigo,” Jedediah told him. Octavius mimed out locking his lips and tossing the key. 

He studied them for another moment before looking back up at Larry. “You must’ve missed it before Lancelot fell on us. It was quick, but I know what I saw.” Leaning in a bit, he lowered his voice. They were in the back of the group by now, but apparently Teddy wanted to take precautions. “When they both came running out of that temple, Kahmunrah was holding onto our young Pharaoh's arm.”

 _Holding onto his..._ It took Larry a moment to understand what he was saying. “Wait, are you trying to tell me that _Kahmunrah_ got Ahk outta the temple?”

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”

“... _This_ Kahmunrah?”

“Do you know another?”

“Ain’t no way, Teddy,” Jedediah argued. “Ya musta had some sand in yer eyes.”

“I agree,” Octavius began. “Kahmunrah would never do such a thing.”

“He _hates_ Ahk,” Larry explained in a low voice. “I really don’t think he’d care if something bad happened to him. In fact, had Ahk _not_ come out of there, he would’ve started dancing and praising every Egyptian god in history.”

“‘Hate’ is a strong word, Lawrence,” Teddy told him. “I watched him come out of that temple with Ahkmenrah in hand and he did not release him until they fell into the sand.”

Larry was about to argue when he remembered how Ahkmenrah had paused and looked at his brother for a moment. “Wait but, but, _why?_ He’s selfish. And he’s been wishing something bad would happen to Ahk since we got here. _Plus,_ he’s still mad about Ahk getting the throne. Why would he save him?”

“Why?” Larry awaited an answer, but Teddy seemed to have to think about that for a moment. “I don’t think I can tell you when I’m not sure myself. In fact, by the look he gave me, I don’t even think Kahmunrah knows why he did it...No, actually, I take that back. He knows. Just won’t let himself admit it.”

“...Are you _sure_ you didn’t have sand in yer eyes?” Jed asked.

“I mean, they did come out of there together,” Larry pointed out. He looked up to the front of the group, where Kahmunrah was walking. He wasn’t sure about what had happened between the two brothers, but he didn’t have a lot of time to think about it. He had to focus on getting everyone to the black sand. After this trip to the Nile, that was their next stop.

 **A/N:** A nice, kinda tame chapter after the insanity of the last one. Once they leave the Nile after this next part though, the action is coming back at ya! Thanks for all of the lovely comments and kudos.


	17. Chapter 17

As they made their way towards the famous river, Dexter stayed quiet for the most part. He seemed to be content with simply sitting on Ahkmenrah's shoulder for a while, which was good because the young pharaoh’s mind was reeling. They’d been out of the temple for some time now, but he was still trying to wrap his head around what had happened.

 _I almost fell,_ he thought once again. _I didn’t make that jump. I very nearly died, and yet I am here. And that’s not even the craziest part._ He looked at his brother, who was once again isolating himself from the others. _I am not even sure why I called out to you. I didn’t think you would do anything, or maybe not even hear. But then you...you actually put yourself in_ more _danger in order to save me._

_I don’t understand._

_How strange it is that I have known you all of my life, yet at times it feels as if I don’t know you at all. You hate me! You have for years. I assumed the throne thousands of years ago, yet to you it is as if it was yesterday. You’ve barely spoken to me this entire trip, which has been the first time you’ve done so ever since Father decided I would rule Egypt. You’ve insulted me as well as my friends, and act as if the Underworld would be preferable than being within one hundred feet of me._

_Yet you helped me? It simply makes no sense. You’ve always been one step ahead, haven’t you? Always something up your sleeve...if you had sleeves, that is._

_For Mother. You must’ve done it because you knew how sad she would be if something happened to one of us. That’s it._ He straightened, trying to convince himself that was the end of it. Yet something was still nagging in the back of his mind like a fly that kept buzzing around his head. There was something in his expression, something in his eyes when he’d been trying to grab his hand. _Could it be that...no._ No. _You are not doing that again. You thought that things could change after Mother passed and it was just us two. That maybe since we were all we had, we could come together. And then he left you. That was the end of it, Ahkmenrah_ , he chided himself. _He did it for Mother_. _Nothing more. You are going to calm your mind, find Zalaam, trap him, and then go home. You will go your separate ways and that’s it. Think no more of it now._

Thankfully, he didn’t have to once his mother shouted out, “I see it! Oh, it’s just as I recalled.”

Snapping out of his thoughts, he saw the Nile approaching. The water glistened in the moonlight, calm and serene. A few stray trees and patches of green stood out in the sand. _I never noticed how beautiful it really is. It’s like something out of a...a, um, what are those things called? A photograph! That’s the word I was looking for! I suppose you don’t really know what you have until you die for thousands of years, live in a museum, then nearly die again because your Tablet needs moonlight. No, wait...I’ve nearly died twice now._

_Goodness, Teddy is right, I am in danger quite often._

He saw the group sit down under a tree and followed suit. Dexter got off his shoulder and sat in the sand. Larry took his backpack off and set it in front of him. “You are not going to,” Ahkmenrah had to pause to think of the phrase. “‘Look up’ where the black sand is?”

“Actually, while I was waiting for the plane to get here, the news was on and they were talking about it again. I wrote it down and stuffed it in here somewhere. Which is good, because I actually don’t get any service out here.”

Ahkmenrah moved a bit closer to him, confused. “But you were able to use a map?”

“Yeah, that still works, Google doesn’t, though.”

“Oh.” _I’m so glad we didn’t have this when I was growing up. It sounds very complex._

He watched Larry start to fish around in the bag. “A’right it’s in here...somewhere...okay, yeah, I’m just gonna dump this out. Let’s see, Tablet that Dexter isn’t going to touch-” he paused to glare at the capuchin, “-granola bar wrappers, more garbage...oh, great, snake crap. That’s helpful.” He moved the pile of objects around. “Aha!...No, this is an old shopping list. When was I buying kale?”

“Lawrence,” Teddy said.

“Right, sorry. Don’t worry, I’ll find it.”

Sensing this would take some time, Ahkmenrah looked up at the sky. Thousands of glowing stars lit up the dark night. The sight gave him a sense of relaxation. His body lost its tension and he exhaled as if he was holding his breath for hours. _Larry was right, we did need a moment to calm ourselves. At least I did._ He took his sandals off and allowed the soft, cool sand to get between his toes. _Egypt may have changed quite a lot since my reign, but it still feels like home._

Gazing at the night sky, he started to look for any constellations or familiar stars. Ahkmenrah tried his hardest to relax and occupy his mind, but somehow, the temple still crept into his thoughts. Though he told himself not to, his eyes flickered down towards the Nile’s shore. Kahmunrah was sitting back on his hands, his legs crossed in front of him. _Just look at the stars,_ he told himself. _Everything is quiet. Just don’t...Anubis, help me, for I am a fool who apparently wants to be drowned in the Nile. But I have to know!_

He rose to his feet and began to walk down to the shore. _I really do get myself into trouble a lot. I’m crazy for doing this. What am I doing? He’s barely spoken to me! He hates me!...So_ why _did he help me?!_ Before he was ready, he was standing a few steps away from his brother. _Turn around now before he notices you._ But his feet seemed to be stuck in the sand. He cleared his throat and - against his better judgment -  spoke up. “May I join you?”

Kahmunrah didn’t turn around, only shifted a bit. The moment drew out like a blade. _I should just go back,_ Ahkmenrah thought. _This was a bad idea._

“I am not going to stop you,” his brother finally stated. 

 _That..._ almost _sounded like an invitation. ...Is this a trick? He’s got something up his non-existent sleeves again, hasn’t he?_

“Either sit or go somewhere else,” Kahmunrah told him, his tone sharpening. “I cannot enjoy the river with your eyes boring into my back.”

As if on autopilot, he walked forwards and sat next to him, while still maintaining a good amount of distance. Mimicking Kahmunrah’s position, he looked back at the river. _He actually seems to be in a good mood. ...Maybe the temple isn’t that important. Bringing it up might upset him. We could just sit here and enjoy the river._

A few minutes passed and Ahkmenrah relaxed again. _The Nile is so peaceful. It’s so quiet at night. When we came here before it was always so busy. Children swimming, fisherman...well, fishing, boats always making waves in the-_

His train of thought derailed as Kahmunrah snorted. He chanced a look at him and saw his brother was looking at his bare feet before turning away once again. _Well that was...odd. Why did he just...well, it’s probably nothing._

“Never did grow out of that, did you?”

Ahkmenrah’s eyes widened as he looked back at Kahmunrah. He was still looking at the water. _Did- did I imagine that? I thought he just spoke to me. I thought he really just_ initiated _a conversation with_ me. 

His brother’s dark brown eyes met his and Ahkmenrah suddenly felt like a gazelle sitting before a lion. He gestured back to Ahkmenrah's feet. “Your shoes,” he said with a touch of annoyance in his voice. “You always used to leave them lying around. Clearly, you never kicked the habit.”

“...Oh. Um, yes, it would seem so.” _What is going on right now? Am I hallucinating? Should I say something else? Is that pushing it? This is so unfamiliar. It shouldn’t be so hard to do this, but he swore he wasn’t speaking to me again. You could argue that before, it was just out of necessity, but now he’s just...doing it! Especially after the fight we had yesterday, and when I...oh._ He shifted a bit as it occurred to him that there _was_ something he should say. “I, um,” He hesitated, testing to see if Kahmunrah would snap at him. But he merely looked at him again with an unreadable expression. “I feel I should apologize for hitting you yesterday.”

“Calling that a ‘hit’ is an egregious exaggeration,” Kahmunrah countered. “I barely felt it...Don’t do it again,” he added.

Ahkmenrah brought his hand up to his mouth to conceal his small grin. A splash in the distance drew his attention and he caught a glimpse of a large fish landing back in the water. Feeling some of the ice melt between them, he decided to speak a bit more freely. “Mother is right, there are a lot of memories here.” Kahmunrah grumbled in agreement. The young Egyptian moved the sand under his feet, wondering if that would be the end of the conversation he’d been savoring. A minute or so went by. The moment seemed to have passed.

Kahmunrah pointed to the water and Ahkmenrah waited to see what he was going to say. “We used to ride boats down here. While Mother and Father were working.”

Ahkmenrah couldn’t keep his eyes from widening. He was so surprised that his brother remembered that, remembered _good_ things about their relationship. “Yes, yes, we did. We used to race them.”

“Right, that was it.” He got a smug look and glanced at him once again. “I always won.”

“That you did.” This time he didn’t hide the smile. “It’s strange to think that was centuries ago. It certainly doesn’t feel that long.”

“I don’t agree with these changes in Egypt. The temples are almost gone, the palaces abandoned, it’s nothing like when we left it.”

“As if the kingdom never existed.”

The moment hung in the air again. The breeze rustled a patch of papyrus weeds nearby. “Change can be good sometimes, however,” Ahkmenrah said.

“It can, I suppose. At the same time, some things never change.”

That got his attention. He looked over to his brother, whose dark eyes were still on the water. “The pyramids are still here, at least the larger ones,” Kahmunrah continued. “The Nile hasn’t dried up...and you still leave your sandals everywhere.”

A bit of laughter escaped Ahkmenrah. “At least I didn’t misplace them.”

“Not this time you didn’t.” 

The smile on the younger man’s face was broad now, recalling all the times he’d had to tell his Mother he couldn’t find his shoes. Out of the blue, he recalled the temple again and wondered if it would be too much to ask Kahmunrah about it. _He’s in a good mood, that is clear. But that could ruin it. Do I want to risk it? For the first time in what feels like forever, we’re not arguing or at each other’s throats. I don’t want anything to spoil-_

“I found it!” Larry’s voice called out. “I found the freakin’ paper!”

_Maybe it’s another grocery list._

“Well done, Lawrence!” Teddy cheered, loudly. Ahkmenrah’s grin turned to a small frown. He heard them mumbling and knew that time was now up. They had to keep going and this moment had to end. 

“Boys, we’ve got to go!” The Queen called. “Mr. Daley says that we can make it to the black sand well before the sun comes up!”

Reluctantly, he rose to his feet. Kahmunrah was already walking back to the rest of the group. The chance had slipped through Ahkmenrah’s fingers. And yet…”Kahmunrah!” he called out. His older brother looked over his shoulder, his hair rattling against him. Ahkmenrah opened his mouth but now that he’d done it, the words wouldn’t come. It struck him that there was something much more important he should tell him. “...Thank you.”

For a moment, Kahmunrah looked a bit surprised. It was clear he understood what he was being thanked for. Ahkmenrah saw a brightness come to his eyes for just a second before fading. “Don’t mention it,” he told him, simply. After a moment, he added, _“Ever.”_

With that, they joined the group. Kahmunrah kept his distance once again. The moment was officially over, yet it continued to replay in Ahkmenrah’s mind. _I know I should not focus so much on it,_ he thought. _It’s not like anything will come of it. He will act as if it never happened, and when this is over, he’ll return to the Smithsonian. Everything will return to the way it was._

_But it is nice to have another good memory by the Nile._

**A/N:** We are getting ever closer to the black sand! This part was so sweet to write. What do you guys think? Ready for some action? Thank you for the comments and kudos!


	18. Chapter 18

After sitting in silence for a while, Jedediah decided to strike up a conversation. “Well, I don’t know about y'all, but I’m about ready fer this to be over.”

“You were the one who insisted on coming, my friend,” Octavius pointed out. 

“Well, I didn’t know it would be this crazy. I mean, think about it: We been walking round the desert, you an’ I got lost and coulda died, then we found the Mirror but Ahk almost died, and now we gotta go wrestle a soul.”

“Yeah, it’s been a journey,” Larry said in an exhausted voice. His flashlight was in one hand and his phone in the other. “But let’s hope it’s almost over. As long as we just get Zalaam into this Mirror, we can get back home soon. Bet you guess miss the museum, hmm?”

“I’ll admit, gettin’ a bit homesick,” Jed told him. “But, ya know, Gigantor? It ain’t the same without ya there.”

“Aww, thanks, Jed.”

“Are you certain you will not consider coming back to your old post?” Octavius asked.

“No, I’m sorry, guys,” he said without hesitation. “I like teaching the kids a lot...assuming my principal doesn’t kill me for this unexpected trip. I really miss you guys, though.”

“Aww, but you ran it so much better than McPhee does.”

“What exactly is your deal with McPhee again?”

“He’s so… _serious_ ‘bout everything. He don’t even play with Rexy! Dino’s gonna go stir crazy.”

“I know he can be a stickler, believe me,” Larry began. “But you have to look at it from his perspective, too. First of all, he’s working both shifts. On top of that, it can’t be easy to find somebody to take this job. I mean, most people don’t expect to have a museum come to life and have to protect a magical, golden Tablet. It’s New York, there’s some shady people.”

The cowboy mumbled in agreement. _Still doesn’t mean he’s gotta be such a_ grump _all the time. Or keep takin’ the car. He don’t know how to have fun!_ “Well, we still do miss ya,” Jed added.

“I miss you guys, too. Who knows, maybe Doctor McPhee would let me come see you guys once in a while. You know, when I’m not busy grading papers.”

_Doubt it. That would be fun, and he’s against anythin’ that involves that._

* * *

Nick hit “submit “on the umpteenth application and set the computer aside. He sighed and thought briefly about taking a nap, knowing he would be up tonight helping Dr. McPhee. Before he could make a decision to get off his couch, a familiar buzzing sounded next to him. He scooped up his phone. “Hey, Alexa, what's up?”

_“Hey, babe,”_ she said happily. “ _Whaddaya say you and I catch a movie tonight? They're showing the new Tom Cruise film at seven-fifteen at the theater by you.”_

“A movie? Uh, tonight's no good.”

_“Oh?”_

“Yeah, sorry, but I told an old friend of my dad's that I'd go help him out with something tonight. It's gonna take a while.”

_"Wait, I thought you weren't talking to your dad.”_

“I mean, I'm trying to but he’s not answering…anyway, his old boss just wanted a hand tonight. Maybe next week we can go? Hopefully by then I'll have a new job lined up.”

_“Wait, I'm still confused. What are you helping this guy with? Cause we can go to a later showing if we need to.”_

“I'm cleaning up the museum my dad used to work at. You know, the Museum of Natural History?”

_“... So, we can't go see a movie because this guy needs help dusting off a buncha plastic and stuff?”_ Her tone had lost its joy. 

“Well it's just… I don't know, I've got good memories there and a lot’s going on with me and my dad plus this job stuff… Honestly, the movies should be the last thing on my mind right now. I still don't know how I'm gonna pay rent.”

_“Nick, you're gonna get a new job, I promise. Look, why not call this museum guy back and cancel and we'll go out tonight? It'll help you clear your head.”_

“I'm sorry, Alexa, but I really don't think I've got the money right now.”

_“Don't be silly. Here, you don't even have to pick me up. That'll save you gas. Why don't we meet there at-”_

“Alexa, I already told you _no._ I can't go to the movies with you!”

The phone went quiet for a second. Nick couldn't remember the last time he'd raised his voice at his girlfriend. He was fed up with her asking and already had enough on his mind. 

_“... Fine,”_ she grumbled after a minute. _“I'll go by myself.”_ And she hung up without a goodbye. Nick sighed, tossed the phone onto the couch, and walked to his bedroom. 

_I really just need a quiet night tonight. My head's gonna explode._

* * *

“Gigantor, are we there yet?” Jed complained.

“Umm...I think so. My Map just froze, but I think we’re going the right way.”

“What do you mean it ‘froze’?” The Queen asked. “It is much too hot out here for anything to freeze, even at night.”

“No, I mean it, it stopped working for a minute. Well, it’s still not working.”

“Which means we’re lost,” Kahmunrah called from the front. 

“We’re not lost. This is the direction it had us going. It’s just...not giving us any more directions.”

“I hate to admit it,” Ahkmenrah said over his shoulder - the one Dexter wasn’t on. “But that does make it sound like we are lost.”

“We aren’t lost!” he defended. “We’re just...just…”

“We’re here.”

Kahmunrah’s voice held no venom in it. In fact, it had no tone at all. He was standing on a small dune, his back towards them. Larry quickened his pace and was soon standing next to him. He could see it before he’d even gotten up the dune all the way.

The black, shadow-like sand had spread to the point that it now looked like a small lake. Larry’s eyes widened until they were borderline cartoonish. _It was_ not _this big on the news. He’s coming soon. We gotta do this._

“This stuff’s multiplyin’ quicker than a buncha bunnies in June, Gigantor,” Jed said in awe. 

“We should do this quickly,” the Queen stated. By this time, the rest of the group was looking at the dark pool.

“Yes, but where do we find his soul? This was just a starting point.”

“More wandering around the desert? I’m starting to think your brilliant plant was a bit half-baked, Mr. Daley,” Kahmunrah snapped. 

“Hey, it has to be right here. This is the only place it’s happening. We just have to figure out where his soul is.” _That’s a weird sentence._

“Maybe there is a clue in the sand?” Lancelot asked. “Like that hidden beetle to get into the Temple?”

Larry looked at him with a pleasantly surprised look. “Lance, that’s a good idea.”

“Really? Why, thank you.”

“Are you certain we should touch it?” Kahmunrah pointed out.

“Do you have a better idea?” Larry glared. He got an eye roll in response. “Didn’t think so.”

“Dexter, I permit you to make a mess of the sand,” Ahkmenrah told him. The capuchin chattered in response before he jumped off his shoulder and raced towards the sand. Larry touched the dark sand with the tip of his shoe, experimentally. When he didn’t burst into flames or grow a third eye, he walked further, finding a random spot to try. Like a kid in a sandbox, he crouched down and started to move the grains with his bare hands. “It’s going to take quite a while to go through all this sand,” Octavius pointed out.

“Yeah, and we gotta find somewhere to hide from the sun,” Jed added.

“I know, guys, I know. But this is the only chance we’ve got at finding his soul. If we don’t, it’s not the sun we’ll have to worry about.” He dug deeper into the darkness, hoping to find something. Another beetle. A hidden door. A sign that read “Zalaam’s soul lies here.” _Anything._

His head shot up to the sound of Dexter’s shriek, only glimpsing the capuchin’s tail as it vanished into the sand in a second. _“Dexter!”_ Ahkmenrah shouted, running to the spot the animal had just been.

“What just happened?” Larry practically shouted in a panicked tone, standing back up. 

“The sand just swallowed Dexter!” Teddy answered.

“Ahkmen, get away from there!” the Queen ordered. “You don’t know what could- _aaah!”_

_“Shepseheret!”_

Larry turned around quickly - probably jostling the miniatures - just in time to see Merenkahre disappear into the sand, right after his wife. “No!”

“Everyone off the sand! Quickly!” Teddy shouted.

“We cannot leave them stuck in-” Ahkmenrah didn’t get to finish that sentence. 

Larry snapped out of his state of confusion and panic and began to run off the black sand. He kept one hand pressed on his breast pocket to make sure neither of the miniatures fell out. Kahmunrah raced past him, but in a blink was pulled under without a word. He couldn’t hear Lancelot’s armor clanking behind him anymore. He watched in horror as Teddy met the same fate, gripping his hat before sinking down. Larry ran as fast as possible, his lungs burning, but felt the sand suddenly grip his foot and pull. He covered his shirt pocket before feeling the sand yank him down.

Larry felt his lungs screaming, begging for air as he kept his eyes shut, traveling down, down, down underground. The coarse sand rubbed against his skin. Just when he thought his lungs would implode, the sand vanished, and he hit a clay floor on his back with a tremendous sound. A low groan was all he could manage to make. He finally moved his hand from his pocket. 

“Ya okay, Gigantor?” Jed asked.

“...Yup,” Larry murmured. “Just...bruised my spine.” He got up slowly and looked at them. “You guys okay?”

“We are fine thanks to you,” Octavius told him.

“I still hate sand.”

“Yeah, me too,” Larry told the cowboy. He got to his feet and looked around. He’d been able to keep his grip on his flashlight until he’d hit the floor, which he was thankful for because there was no light in the room. The circle of light waved around the room, but there wasn’t much to see. All he could find was dry, brick walls. No torches on the walls. No hieroglyphics. Nothing about any Egyptian deities. Just walls.

“What is this?” Octavius asked.

“I think it’s like an...unfinished tomb, or something,” he told him. 

“Fer Zalaam?” 

“Yeah, I guess. Maybe he… knew he was dying and wanted to make one. Or some followers of his made it but never completed it?”

“Doesn't look like we're gonna find much here, either way,” Jed added. “We gotta find the rest a’ the gang and high tail it outta here.”

“Yeah,” Larry said darkly, “Before that soul finds them.”

“Is it down here then?”  the Roman general asked.

“That’s gotta be why the sand is like this. Sand doesn’t just drag people down for nothing. His body’s not here, but if his soul possesses someone…” He didn’t even want to think about it. Larry’s hand went to his backpack and he inspected the Mirror inside. The glass was pristine. Not even a smudge was on it. _Glad that fall didn’t do anything. Maybe it’s indestructible or something? Egyptian magic is really weird._ He kept the Mirror in hand, replaced his bag and started walking down one of the halls. “Ahkmenrah? Teddy?”

“Sir Lancelot?”

“Rahmenoodle?”

“Dexter?!”

* * *

Ahkmenrah groaned a bit as he got up off the hard, clay floor. _What in the name of Khonsu just happened? Where am I? What happened to the others?_ He barely had a moment to collect himself before something warm and furry jumped onto him, grabbing his shoulders. “Dexter!” The young pharaoh grabbed his capuchin, smiling. “Thank Ra you’re alright! Goodness, Kahmunrah was right, we shouldn’t have gone near that sand. Are you hurt?” Dexter made a few chattering sounds, and Ahkmenrah assumed that meant he was okay. “Well, whatever just happened, we’ve got to find everyone else and get out of here...wherever ‘here’ is.”

With Dexter back on his shoulder, he started to cautiously walk down the dark hall. There was no light, but his night vision had started to work. Not that there was much to see, anyhow. _I don’t like this,_ he thought. _Something is...off here._

“Larry?” He called out in the dark. “Kahmunrah, are you here? Mother, Father? Do you suppose the others got off the sand, or have they gotten stuck down here with us?...Dexter, why do I keep asking you things? You cannot answer.” 

He walked on, hoping to find someone else or discover a way back to the surface. He kept one hand on the brick wall to guide them. _I wonder if they got off the sand in time. Maybe they are trying to find a way to bring us back up?_

_Then again, how long has it been? We still need to find the soul of Zalaam before he claims someone's body and regains his power. Not to mention, the impending sunrise. What if they cannot find a way to get us? We nearly had to leave Octavius and Jedediah when they got lost. What if_ \- Ahkmenrah stopped in his tracks and took a deep breath. _Stop this. You are not helping by doing this. This is no time to panic. Besides,_ he realized, beginning to walk again, _Mother and Father are down here somewhere. I’m not sure if Kahmunrah would leave me down here or not, but one thing is for certain: He won’t let_ Mother _stay trapped down here. He’d sooner turn to dust than allow that._

With renewed peace of mind, he started to call out again. “Mother? Father, can you hear me?” Through twists and turns, hallway after hallway, he continued to shout for them and listen for any sign that someone was near. “Mother? Father? Can anyone hear me?” _For an empty tomb, there is certainly a lot of space here. At least the echo will help m-_

Ahkmenrah turned around, gasping in fear. _I heard something. There was something behind me, I am sure of it. It sounded like a gust of wind or...No, it must be my imagination. This old structure probably just makes some odd noises._ “Father?” he began again. “Are you here? Anyone?”

Something moved in the dark and Ahkmenrah froze once more. Dexter looked around, so this time he couldn’t have imagined it. He hadn’t been able to make out a shape, but it seemed like something was in the room with him. “...Kahmunrah?” he asked. “Is that you?” He took a few slow steps. “Brother, I swear if you jump out and frighten me like you always did, I will-” 

A rush of cold hit the center of his spine, as if his cape did not exist, and suddenly, Ahkmenrah couldn’t move his legs. His head was spinning like he’d just gone in circles and his eyes lost focus. He felt himself wobble, uncontrollably. The cold feeling rushed through his veins in a moment, consuming him. With the remaining strength he had, he tried to choke out a yell, but it was as if he couldn’t take a breath. Darkness filled his mind as the world around him went black. 

**A/N:**  I know, I know, evil cliffhanger. I'm sorry, but this chapter would have been HUGE if I didn't stop it here. That aside, what are we thinking? Be prepared, it only get's crazy from here! (Mwhahahaha!)


	19. Chapter 19

Kahmunrah growled as he got to his feet. His hat was on the clay ground near his feet. Picking it up, he brushed it off and replaced it, seething. “‘Let’s go play in the black sand’, the stupid knight said. ‘It’s a great idea’ they all said. _I_ said it wasn’t safe, but do any of them listen to what I say? _No._ Now look what’s happened. We’re stuck in some,” he squinted in the darkness, “tomb of some sort. Given the black sand is over it, this Zalaam must have created it. A bit conceited if you ask me, making yourself a...who am I talking to?”

Shaking off whatever that was, he started to walk in the dark down a hallway. “Mother? Ahkmenrah? Father?” _If that moronic knight stays down here, I’ll be thankful. Perhaps the annoying cowboy as well. That’s assuming Mr. Daley is trapped down here, of course. But I’ve got to find my family._ “Ahkmenrah? If you can hear me, stop looking for your stupid monkey and help me find Mother and Father!”

He walked down hall after hall not hearing so much as a scarab break the silence. _This is not good. I don’t even have a way to defend myself if something should happen. Zalaam’s soul could be anywhere down here. It_ must _be down here, after all. Why else would the sand change right over this tomb? I knew I should have insisted on holding the Mirror._

 _Love of Osiris, how big_ is _this tomb? Makes me wonder if Zalaam was compensating for something._ He couldn’t help but snicker at his own mental joke when a new sound pierced the quiet. He glared down at the shape of a capuchin running up to him, high pitched noises coming from it.

Kahmunrah grumbled as it finally got in front of him, jumping around. “You were the least of my concerns, but I suppose if you weren’t found, Ahkmenrah would have another fit like with those accursed miniatures. What has gotten your tail in such a twist?” The animal kept jumping and looking very excited. _For once, I wish this thing knew how to speak._ “Have you found someone?” he asked, hopefully.

The capuchin seemed to give up on whatever it was doing and started tugging at the end of his tunic, trying to pull him back to where he’d just come from. “Stop that!” he ordered, yanking it out of the monkey’s hands. “I know no one is back there, I just came that way. What in the world is-” The sound of approaching footsteps made him pause. He looked away from the animal to see the shape of a crown, the crown he once thought would be his. “There you are. Why didn't you answer when I called you? Control your pet; it is having some sort of panic attack.”

As Ahkmenrah got closer, Kahmunrah could see more of him in the darkness. For some reason, a proud smirk was on his lips. “What are you so happy about?” Kahmunrah snapped. “And where are Mother and Father?”

It wasn't until he was close did Kahmunrah see it. The cold, dark, menacing look in his eyes. His body tensed and he took a step back automatically. 

“How sweet. ” Ahkmenrah’s mouth was moving but it was not him. Zalaam’s voice was calm, yet chilling. Like a cat who had cornered a mouse and now wished to play with it. “You show such concern for your foolish parents. But it is not needed, Kahmunrah. I don't want to hurt them, you see. At least, not physically.”

Before Kahmunrah could even _think_ of making a move, Ahkmenrah’s hand stretched straight out and black sand shot out from his palm, hitting him square in the chest. His feet left the floor as he flew farther and farther back. Finally, his back collided with the wall of the room he'd fallen into. The sand stopped suddenly, and he fell onto his stomach, groaning as he hit the floor. The capuchin seemed to have run down another hall, not that he would have been much help anyhow. 

“No, I have a much better plan in mind,” the sand sorcerer said, walking into the room before Kahmunrah could even get back up. “Tell me, son of Merenkahre, how will you parents feel? To know that their youngest son will be used as a vessel for my domination,” he paused to bring his hands up again, “and to see their other child die at my hands.”

The sand grabbed him again before he was ready, pinning his arms to his sides and lifting him off the floor. It was coarse against his skin and strong enough to hold his struggling body. “This must be a change of pace for you, hmm? Being beaten by your brother? Or at least, his form. According to Ahkmenrah, you were usually the one bringing him pain, not just physically either.”

Kahmunrah froze for a moment, shocked by his statement. “How do you-”

“I know everything about your family,” Zalaam interrupted. “You see, I am in your brother’s mind. I have all of his memories. I know about your family, the museum, all of it. It's quite interesting really. He was just starting to hope again.”

Before Kahmunrah could even process that sentence fully, Zalaam’s magic threw him down another hallway as carelessly as a boy with a ball. His body collided with someone and both of them fell to the ground, hard. Though he was now in a lot of pain, panic took over and he got up quickly, barely acknowledging the man on the floor. Larry Daley got up, groaning, and inspected the Mirror in his hands. 

“The Mirror!” Kahmunrah shouted, reaching out to grab it from him. “Give that to me, we have to-” The sentence came to a stop when he remembered what his father had said back at the British Museum. _It won’t know which soul to trap. It might not take Zalaam’s, it could-_

“Whoa, whoa, where’s the fire, Rahmenoodle?” the cowboy asked.

“Yeah, and what just happened?” Larry asked in a bit of an annoyed tone.

Before he could even begin to think of how to explain what was going on, he heard his mother from the other room. “What is all this noise? Ahkmen, is that you? Are you alright, dear?”

Kahmunrah broke into a run back into the room he’d just been tossed out of, Larry behind him, clearly confused. “Mother, no!” He raced up to his parents and got between them and Zalaam. “Don’t go near him! He’s not himself! I mean he isn’t, or he _is_ using Ahkmenrah to-”

“Will you take a breath and speak a clearer sentence?” his father snapped. “We've got no idea what you’re saying.”

“I would listen to your son, Merenkahre,” Zalaam said from behind.

The light of Larry’s flashlight illuminated his father’s face as it flushed to white and his eyes got larger. Kahmunrah couldn’t remember ever seeing his father look _fearful_ before. He turned to face the man again, putting his arm across his parents to shield them. 

“No,” his mother said breathlessly.

“Zalaam,” Merenkahre began. “Let my son go.” There was no force in his voice. “Leave him and take me instead. It is I who you want revenge against, not him.”

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” Zalaam teased, smirking.

“Please,” the Queen begged. “Please.” That seemed to be all she could say.

“I told you,” the man said icily. “I told you when I came back, I would destroy everything you loved. You should have taken the opportunity to ally yourself with me when I gave it to you. With Egypt’s help, we could have made the _world_ our empire. But you were _fools,_ ” he snapped. “And I’ve grown so much stronger. With my power, I can accomplish my goal before the moon sets this very night.”

The sound of footsteps and a monkey's chattering filled a nearby hall as the capuchin, Lancelot, and Theodore Roosevelt entered the room. “What in the world is going on here?” the mustachioed man asked. 

“Ahkmenrah, are you...you aren’t…” Lancelot’s hand went to his sword.

“Oh, please, even _you_ aren’t dumb enough to do that.” Zalaam chuckled. “No one in your little rag tag bunch would want to hurt a friend of yours, now would you? That’s why poor Merenkahre hasn’t come at me with that khopesh on his side. Why Kahmunrah hasn’t tried to attack me while my back is turned. And why Mr. Daley hasn’t used that _precious_ Mirror on me. Isn’t that right?”

Kahmunrah looked at Larry, who was standing across from him with Mirror and flashlight in his hands. He seemed paralyzed. “Care to take the gamble?” Zalaam challenged. “How much is Ahkmenrah’s soul worth to you, hmm? What would you do if you ended up trapping _him_ in that Mirror for eternity?”

Everyone was frozen. Kahmunrah watched him, but Larry made no move to use the magical Mirror.

The dark chuckle filled the room again. “It’s almost too easy.” Zalaam turned to him and his parents again. Kahmunrah could hear his mother’s shaking breath behind him. “I told you you would regret your decision. Now you shall lose everything. _Now_ you shall see just how powerful I’ve become as the world bows before me! And I know just where to begin.”

Black sand seeped from Ahkmenrah's bare feet, consuming the floor beneath them. Kahmunrah couldn’t even move an inch before it pulled him down. It felt like forever before he could breathe freely again, but just as quick as the sand came, it left. Gasping, he looked around frantically to ensure his parents were still with him. It seemed that everyone had come along for the journey to... _Where has he taken us?_

Tall buildings that seemed to touch the night sky were all around him and the quiet room was replaced by shouting and large, foreign carriages traveling down a black road. With the sand gone, he got up and stood on the firm cement under his sandals, looking back at Zalaam, who seemed very proud. 

“Ahkmenrah seems so fond of your New York, Mr. Daley,” he told the man. “I wanted to see it for myself.”

“Please, let my son go free!” Merenkahre pleaded. “Do what you want to me but leave him out of this. He's done nothing!”

“You see, _now_ you beg,” Zalaam sneered. “Because you know you will lose. You were wrong to think you could handle me as an enemy, Merenkahre! And now, thanks to your son, I get to show you just how wrong you were.”

Another pool of black sand formed under his feet and he vanished into it with a proud grin on his lips. The second he was gone, taking the sand with him, the Queen broke. Kahmunrah was snapped out of his shocked trance as his mother crumbled to her knees next to him, her body shuddering with each sob. He got down next to her and held her shaking form in his arms but had no idea what to say. No one around him seemed to know what to do either. They started to talk loudly about what to do next, but none listened to what any of the others had to say. Kahmunrah looked to his father, who seemed frozen. Paralyzed. _The one time I want you to say something,_ he thought. He looked back to where Ahkmenrah's body had just been. _Where did he go? What will he_ do?

_Is he really gone?_

* * *

The second Zalaam vanished, it all went crazy. The Queen was sobbing, the group was shouting, Lancelot was swearing revenge for his friend, yet in the midst of it all stood Larry. His mind was going so quick, his body didn't know how to react. There were so many thoughts, so much confusion, too much on his brain! So, he stood, frozen in the middle of chaos. Car horns were blaring with the New York traffic - Zalaam had thankfully magicked them away from the road - everyone was yelling, the miniatures were asking him what to do, until it all just became too much. “Alright, everyone _stop!”_

He was shocked by how loud his voice was. It sounded like something that would’ve come from the Easter Island Head back at the Museum. But he’d gotten everyone’s attention. Even Kahmunrah, who was kneeled down next to his obviously distraught mother, waited to see what he would say. The only thing was, he had no _idea_ what to say at all. _We can’t go after Ahk, we don’t even know where Zalaam went. He could be anywhere in the city! In the state even!_ “Okay, let’s just...I know this is a real emergency, but standing here shouting isn’t going to do anything for anyone. First things first, is everyone here? Did everyone get here through Zalaam’s magic?” He looked around and did a quick head count. _Lance, Teddy, Kahmunrah, his parents, Jed, Octavi - wait._ “Dexter? Guys, does anyone see Dexter?”

“I don’t see him,” Lancelot said.

“I dare say he might’ve been left behind,” Teddy told him in a grim tone.

 _Oh God, Ahkmenrah’s being controlled by a madman, Dexter’s halfway across the world, can anything else go-_ His thought came to a screeching halt as he reached around to touch his back. “My backpack. What happened to my backpack?”

“Is this really the most pressing matter right now?” Kahmunrah snapped

“It must’ve fallen off when I got sucked in the sand! Damn it, the Tablet was in there!”

“So Dex _and_ the Tablet are back in Egypt?” Jed asked.

Conversations started to bubble back up. Thankfully, Teddy regained control. “The worst thing we can do right now is panic!” he yelled. “As crazy as everything has gotten, if we lose our heads, we’ll lose it all. As for Dexter and the Tablet, we cannot focus on them right now. Zalaam is out there somewhere with Ahkmenrah, and with his powers, there might not be another sunrise, if you know what I mean.” 

With that settled, he looked back to Larry, who had to take a slow, deep breath. “Okay. We need to...to find somewhere to go so we can think of what to do next. Alright?” That was met with silence and a few nods.

Larry moved like a zombie down the streets of New York, not even acknowledging the strange looks he got from people walking by. He didn’t recall getting to his apartment, nor putting the key into his door. It was like he was on autopilot until he got them all inside his house. Once inside, he directed Kahmunrah and Merenkahre to his bedroom so they could attempt to comfort the crying Queen. The rest of them stood around the apartment. Silent. Thinking. Waiting.

He didn’t know how long it stayed that way. How long they just stood and tried to think of what to say. It was Jed who finally broke the silence. “Look, the longer we stand ‘round here, the more time we’re givin’ Zalaam. We gotta figure out how to get Ahk back!”

“I think we all know there’s only one way to do that, my friend,” Teddy said solemnly. Reluctantly, Larry met his eyes and he was forced to admit he was right. He looked down at the Mirror of Wadjet, the only thing beyond the miniatures that he’d managed to bring back with him.

Lancelot seemed to catch on and got a panicked look to him. “Hold on, wait a moment. We cannot...no! You heard what Pharaoh Merenkahre said back at the museum! If we try to use the Mirror now, it could trap Ahkmenrah instead of Zalaam! We don’t know what will happen if we try that.”

“But what will happen if we _don’t?”_ Teddy countered. “Somewhere out there is a very powerful man, threatening the entire world as we know it. Thousands of innocent people could get hurt or killed! We don’t have time to-”

“To what? To save our friend?! And here I thought he was important to you, a part of your family,” the knight spat. “Or is it that you just don’t care if he’s trapped in that Mirror? After all, you locked him up once, who’s to say-”

“Don’t you _dare_ finish that sentence!” Teddy’s yell echoed throughout the small room. “Don’t you dare say we don’t care about him! You’re damn right he’s family, and we were wrong to leave him in that sarcophagus, wrong to listen to those guards who told us to never let him out! We made a mistake, and we’ve been doing everything we can to try to make it up to him. That’s why we left him in Britain to be with his family all that time ago.”

Teddy paused for a moment, trying to collect himself. Larry wasn’t certain, but for a moment it looked like tears were forming past his glasses. “We love Ahkmenrah...but the fact is that it would be extremely selfish of us to let Zalaam take over and hurt innocent people because we won’t risk losing him. The fate of the world is in our hands. It’s a horrible decision, no doubt of that...but we have to make it.”

For a minute, the quiet returned before Lancelot spoke up again. “So, what, the only thing we can do is use that Mirror? Risk his soul? We should try to fight Zalaam!”

“We can’t.” Larry felt like he could barely speak, his throat was tight with emotion. “He’s too strong. You saw him, he can be anywhere he wants to be with that sand. He, he _threw_ Kahmunrah at me like he was a ragdoll. There is no way we can take him without using the Mirror.”

“And if it takes Ahkmenrah instead?” Octavius asked. “Even then, Zalaam still has power. There wouldn’t be anything stopping him. What if the Mirror no longer works if Ahkmenrah is inside it?”

“Guys, I don’t even know how we’re gonna get close enough to Zalaam for _one_ shot at this, there’s no way we’ll get a second try,” Larry admitted.

“So, our _only_ shot to save everything is a fifty-fifty chance that it traps Zalaam on the first try?”

No one answered. But they all knew.

“...I’ll do it,” Teddy told him, suddenly. He walked over, hand stretched out. “Give me the Mirror.”

“Teddy, no, I can’t let you be the one to use it on-”

“Lawrence.” Again, Larry had to look into his eyes, his all-too-wise eyes. “I heard him,” the man said quietly. “I heard him scream in that sarcophagus every night for fifty some years. And every night I walked past him. I left him trapped.”

“I know. That’s why I’m not letting you do it. You can’t have this guilt on you if it goes wrong. I’m doing it.” Larry’s tone was as firm as it could get. Teddy’s mouth opened, but the sound of the Queen’s crying filled the room for a moment before a door closed. Kahmunrah and his father entered the room with stone-cold faces. Larry cleared his throat. “How is she-”

“Horrible,” Kahmunrah told him, staring down at the brown carpet. “She’s horrible.”

“Thank you for allowing us to use your home,” Merenkahre said without emotion.

Larry nodded and looked away from them, not wanting to say it but knowing it had to be said. “The, um...the only way to stop Zalaam is to-”

“We are well aware of what must be done, Mr. Daley,” Merenkahre told him.

For some reason, that felt worse than telling them. Larry swallowed hard. “Alright then. It’s settled.”

He waited, looking around, actually hoping for an objection. For someone to think of a better plan. It was wishful thinking.

“You both should stay here,” Larry told the Egyptians, “with the Queen. Lance, you can stay behind if you-”

“ _No,_ ” the knight told him quickly. “If I cannot rescue my friend -” He drew his sword in a blink, and it glistened in the light of the room. “Then I will avenge him.”

Larry knew better than to argue with that. “Okay, if you're sure, then...just give me a minute, okay?” Without waiting for a response, he went into his kitchen and took his cell phone out of his pocket. Finally getting reception, he dialed the number automatically and held it to his ear. One ring. Two rings. Three. Four.

_“Hey, this is Nick. Sorry I can’t answer right now, but I’ll call back when I can. You know what to do.”_

“Hey, Nicky, it...it’s me. Look, I can’t explain it now, but whenever you get this message, go right home and stay there. Everything’s about to get really dangerous and I don’t want you to be out on the road when it does. And if something happens, I’m sorry about fighting with you. I really am...I love you. ”

Hanging up, he replaced the phone. “That was real nice, Gigantor,” Jed told him.

“Thanks.” He walked back into the room and gently got them out of his pocket, placing them on the arm of his sofa. “I think you both know it’s too dangerous for you guys.” For once, the cowboy didn’t try to argue that. 

Teddy and Lancelot looked at him, anxiously. “Alright,” Larry began. “Let’s go find Zalaam.”

With the Mirror in hand, he walked them out to his car. As the engine came to life, only one thought replayed in Larry’s mind: _I said I wasn’t going to lose any of them again. I promised he’d never have to worry about being locked up again._

_Some “Guardian of Brooklyn” I turned out to be._

**A/N:** So, um...Happy Valentine's Day! 


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** Okay so...I decided since you've all been so ridiculously supportive - your comments literally make my entire day, I swear - and you have all had to deal with my cliffhangers...you deserve a bigger chapter this time. 

That and there was no way to break this part up.

So, thank you all for reading my story and warming my heart and I can't wait to see what you think of this part.

 

Nick ran up the stairs to the museum where McPhee was waiting to open the door. “Hey, I'm so sorry I'm late,” he said, a bit out of breath. 

“Well, you volunteered to help, so,” the curator said, letting him inside. “You're not that late, anyhow. The sun’s just barely set.” Nick sighed. Even being an adult now and a little taller than McPhee, he was still a bit intimidated by the man. “Now that you're here, we can start figuring out what to clean first.”

Within a few minutes, Nick was moving a mop around the floors and Doctor McPhee was cleaning some shelves in his office nearby. It was so quiet, which was strange to Nick. He found himself looking over at Rexy now and again, thinking he would move. _Museums are kinda weird at night…well, I guess this is_ normal _for a museum at night, but not for this one._

A vibration on his side snapped him out of his mopping motion, but only for a second. He didn't even think of reaching for the cell phone. _Bet it’s Alexa. She probably wants to snap at me a little more or make it seem like I'm somehow in the wrong for not taking her out to a movie. I have rent to worry about! I can’t keep taking her out!_

He kept mopping and let the phone go to voicemail. _It’s not important. This is. At least doing this makes me feel like I'm doing something right._

* * *

Ahkmenrah groaned a bit as he opened his eyes. His head was spinning as if he'd just ran in a circle two hundred times. _What in the name of Hathor just happened? I feel like I’ve just been run over by something. Where am I? Oh no, Dexter probably ran off._ His eyes focused but he couldn’t see a thing in front of him. Everything just seemed dark. And _cold._ His nerves heightened and he got to his feet, quickly. A rattling noise filled the air as he tried to take a step forward but was denied. “What?” 

That was when he noticed them. The black, heavy shackles chaining him to the wall behind him. Ahkmenrah's breathing started to pick up as he began to panic. He tried to pull the chain, experimentally, but it didn’t give at all.

_“Oh, I wouldn’t even put in the effort, young pharaoh,”_ echoed a chilling voice from nowhere in  particular. _“Those chains won’t break, no matter how hard you will them to.”_

Ahkmenrah’s eyes darted around the dark room, but no one could be seen. “Where are you? _Who_ are you?” 

_“I think you know.”_

That was the moment. The moment his fear became reality. “Zalaam,” he said in just under a whisper.

_“Very good!”_ The disembodied voice chuckled darkly. 

Through the fear and darkness, Ahkmenrah somehow found his voice. “What have you done? Where is my family?!”

_“That is your concern? Truly? You would think you would be more worried about your own predicament, hmm? Or has it not totally dawned on you yet?”_ Zalaam’s overly pleased tone sent a shiver down Ahkmenrah’s spine. _“If I were you, I would be a lot more distraught over knowing I was going to be kept prisoner in my own mind. To be a mere_ puppet, _controlled by the most powerful man in the world. Does that not sound a bit troublesome when I put it that way?”_

His heart was beating fast in his chest and it was getting hard to slow his breathing. It was all coming at him so quickly. He was alone in a dark room with no way to stop Zalaam. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t _fight,_ he couldn’t do anything!

“...They’ll stop you,” Ahkmenrah choked out. “My family won’t let you take over.”

The laughter echoed all around him and Ahkmenrah’s knees nearly gave out on him because of it. _“How naive_ you are, Ahkmenrah! How hopeful, how childish! It’s quite amusing. You truly don’t see the big picture here: It’s over. Nothing can stop me. In fact, my army of sand warriors is currently rampaging your New York City. There is no one _who can make this end! What you see before you is your reality now. I am in control from now on, and you are my prisoner._

_“And if this family_ of yours does _try to defeat me,”_ Zalaam continued. _“Don’t worry, you will know. You will hear them scream.”_

Just as quickly as it came, Zalaam’s voice vanished. For some time, tears had been trailing down Ahkmenrah’s face, but he paid them no attention. His frantic breathing was the only sound that could be heard. _He’s going to destroy it all. He’s going to kill everyone! So many people are going to get hurt, my_ family, _what will they - We should’ve never gone near that sand, and now everyone’s going to be killed because of it! No, no, this can’t happen! I have to stop him before someone gets hurt!_

Ahkmenrah seized the chains in his hands and pulled. He pulled until his knuckles were white. After who knows how long, his hands gave way and he fell to the hard floor. The only thing that had broken was Ahkmenrah.

* * *

Jedediah’s black boot kept hitting the button on the remote control like it was on autopilot. The television was flickering from channel to channel for no more than a second. Neither him nor Octavius were paying it any mind. How could they? Jed had only turned it on to drown out the sound of the poor Queen. 

No one had spoken in a long time. Kahmunrah had come into the room a while ago and sat on the other part of the sofa, but even then, they’d said nothing. There was only the methodical clicking of the remote.

Finally, the words that no one wanted to say came out of Jed’s mouth. He took his boot off the button for a moment and looked to Octavius, who was sitting on the arm of the couch with him still. “...You think it’ll work?” he asked. The Roman’s chocolate eyes looked at him. “The Mirror? I mean, you think we’ll get Ahk back, er…”

Octavius looked away for a moment before answering. “Who can say? It’s out of our hands. All we can do is hope. I don’t think the stakes have been higher, though. Ahkmenrah is in danger, the Tablet is missing, Zalaam could kill our friends, destroy everything...I don’t think we’ve ever dealt with something this big.”

“Got that right, ol’ buddy. But, hey, Gigantor’s gotten us outta rough spots before, right?”

“You are correct. Maybe everything will work out in the end. But if it doesn’t-”

“Don’t start sayin’ that,” Jed told him. “We gotta...we gotta think positive, right? Like you were sayin’ back in Egypt?”

The Roman looked at him for a moment before a smile came to his lips. Jedediah still marveled at his ability to do that, even at the worst times.

* * *

Kahmunrah’s eyes were on the flickering screen, but he wasn’t focused on it at all. He was just thankful the noise was combating his mother’s cries. After trying repeatedly to console her, he could stand it no more and came to the other room. There were only so many times he could listen to her sob and say how she wished Zalaam had taken her instead.

He kept his eyes on the screen and tried to think of something else, anything else, but the image kept coming back like a deadly plague. The image of those eyes, cold and dark but once so bright and inviting. Those eyes that used to look up at him, happily. Those eyes that were once so familiar.

_They’ll get him back,_ Kahmunrah told himself over and over. _They will. That’s how this always ends, with Mr. Daley winning and evil losing. I know it firsthand. They will find a way, somehow, to trap Zalaam and bring Ahkmenrah back. Then this shall all be over._

_The Mirror is only a fifty-fifty chance, though,_ he thought, though he tried not to. _Suppose it doesn’t work. Zalaam would kill whoever stood in his way. Everything would be destroyed. Ahkmenrah would be trapped in that Mirror for all eternity._ Something in him flipped a bit at the thought. _But that won’t happen. They’ll bring him back. They have to, or…_

_Listen to me, it’s ridiculous. How many times in my life have I told him to go away, to get lost? I didn’t speak to him for years, haven’t seen him for centuries, and now I want him back. It’s insane. I am going mad, I must be._

He shifted his position and looked at his feet. But he could not stop thinking.

_Realistically speaking, though, there is a chance they will lose. Zalaam is extremely powerful, not to mention there are only three of them. Three men armed with a sword and a mirror. Those aren't good odds at all. Perhaps they lose. Perhaps they die at his hands. Then everything ends. Mr. Daley had a hard time fighting me, how can he possibly win against Zalaam? Perhaps that’s the last time I see him then, before the sun comes up. Perhaps that conversation by the river is the last thing we say. I’m not even sure what the last thing I said was. Perhaps - stop it! This never bothered me before and it certainly shouldn’t bother me now! It’s his own fault Zalaam took him and not someone else in that tomb, not mine. I will not feel guilty about this. If he’s trapped forever, it’s on Mr. Daley and his wax dummies! I did my part! I’m the only reason he got out of that molten Temple! I saved his life, my consciousness is clear! I could’ve let him burn, but I didn’t!_

Kahmunrah looked up from his feet as his own words sunk in. _I could have. I could’ve been rid of him just like that like I always wanted. But I didn’t._ His hand gripped the end of his tunic. Somehow, it felt like the room had gotten warmer. _I didn’t because Father would’ve shouted and said I could have done something. I didn’t because Mother would have been the weeping mess she is now. I didn’t because...I couldn’t. I couldn’t leave him to that fate._

_Now his situation is even worse…_

_What am I supposed to do, though?_ He thought. _Just find some weapon nearby, march down the streets, and try to save him again? It would be suicide! Zalaam already tried to kill me once, I am sure he would love a second try. I wouldn’t be any help either way!_

Kahmunrah folded his arms across his chest and leaned back, trying to convince himself of that. It nearly worked until something occurred to him.

_Zalaam just wanted one of us; it didn’t matter which. It would’ve affected Mother and Father the same way, no matter if he possessed Ahkmenrah or me. It could have been me if he hadn’t found Ahkmenrah first. I could have been the one potentially stuck in a Mirror forever or controlled by a madman._

_And if it had been me, well, knowing Ahkmenrah, he wouldn’t be sitting here, would he? He, with all of his naivety and optimism, would have gone along with Mr. Daley and tried to save me after everything. After the arguing and the throne...and not speaking to him for years...and leaving after our parents died… and trying to steal the Tablet and rule the world..._

The tapeworm of guilt was eating away at his insides like it had been starved for eons. _He would be there even though I wasn’t._

_Damn it all to Set. I’ve lost my mind entirely, but I’ve got to do something. I can’t leave it up to those three morons to save him. I need a plan- some other way to stop Zalaam. There has to be something we can do to avoid using that Mirror, it’s too much of a risk._

The screen in front of him flickered as he tried to think of what he could do. _If we captured Zalaam somehow, could we force him to release Ahkmenrah? Maybe with four people, we could...no, not with his power._

“Jedediah, go back,” the Roman said. “That was the local news.”

Kahmunrah barely heard him in his thoughts. A blonde-haired woman appeared on the screen, looking frantic. Behind her were people running every which way, some of them made from black sand, others running for their lives.  “ _\- mass chaos in New York!”_ she shouted. _“Officials are advising_ everyone _to remain indoors at all costs! There are strange people rampaging the city! Some witnesses have said they appear to be made of some kind of sand! All government buildings are being shut down, the Empire State Building evacuated! No one knows just what’s going on, but please, do_ not _leave your homes!”_

_What, am I supposed to_ beat _Zalaam out of his body?_ Kahmunrah thought. _That wouldn’t work at all, not even if_ I could get that close to him! Goodness, the one time I don’t want to beat Ahkmenrah up. What timing.

_“I have here a list of currently closed roa-_ whoa!” The blonde reporter was suddenly seized by her shoulders by another woman, who looked panicked and was out of breath. _“Um, excuse me, ma’am,”_ the blonde began, _“but I’m in the middle of-”_

_“Statues!”_ the strange lady shouted. _“Talking statues! In the park!”_

_“Wha- statues?”_ The reporter repeated. Kahmunrah suddenly tuned into the conversation and looked back at the screen. _What did she say?_

“Yes!” the woman shouted. _“I saw it! I was in Central Park, and the Hamilton statue was moving! And he started talking to me! He doesn’t sound like Lin-Manuel Miranda!”_

_“Miss, I think you’re suffering from hysteria. You shouldn’t be out here right now,”_ the reporter explained, but no one was listening to her anymore.

“That’s the Tablet!” Jedediah shouted. “It has to be!”

“But I thought the Tablet was long gone, back in Egypt,” the Roman countered.

“Well, it certainly ain’t Zalaam doin’ that.”

Kahmunrah’s brain was going a mile a minute when it suddenly came to him so quickly, he got to his feet like he’d been electrocuted. “The monkey!” He turned towards the miniatures so quickly, his hair rattled against his back. “That’s the only way!”

“They musta both came here with us after all!” Jedediah exclaimed.

“But why did he run off, and with Larry’s backpack?” Octavius asked.

The cowboy snapped his fingers. “I bet Dexter wanted to make sure Zalaam couldn’t get the Tablet! He was probably so spooked, he just took it and ran to make sure it was safe!”

“Oh, please, as if that animal could string together a thought like that,” Kahmunrah said with a roll of his eyes. 

“Well, you believe what you wanna, but either way, Dex mighta just saved the world!” 

“How do you mean?” Octavius asked.

“Think about it: If we go find Dex and the Tablet, we can go get everyone else back at the museum! With all of us, we just might-

“Just might have enough manpower to give us a shot at stopping Zalaam,” Kahmunrah finished in awe. 

“Exactly! Ain’t no way Zalaam could win with an army on our side! We could wrestle him down and make him cough up Ahkmen- hey, where ya goin’?”

Kahmunrah was already making his way into the kitchen, his eyes scanning the small room. _If I’m going to go up against Zalaam, I need something to fight with. Let’s just hope Mr. Daley doesn’t only use flashlights to defend himself._ He started opening every drawer he could find, trying to look for maybe a dagger or - _Aha!_

He grabbed a large knife with a blade that looked to be almost eight inches or so and held it in his hand, experimentally. _It’s got no grip on it and won’t cut through the air nearly as well as what I’m used to. But it will have to do, I suppose. I’ve still got to track down that monkey, and who knows how long that will take?_ He turned and began to walk out of the kitchen.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Kahmunrah gasped and his shoulders went up at the sound of his father’s voice behind him. He sighed and turned around to face him from across the small room. “No, please, sneak up on me again while I’m holding this large knife. Let’s see what happens.”

“Watch your mouth,” Merenkahre ordered. “You are not going anywhere.”

“Oh? Are you really going to _stop_ me from rescuing your son?”

Merenkahre barely blinked, his hands folded firmly across his chest. “I do not have time for this, not when your mother is so upset. I only came out here because I heard all the noise you were making and thank Ra I did. Now put that knife down right now.”

“What part of ‘I am going to rescue your son’ are you not getting here? What, do, do you think I can’t do it? Is that it?”

“I am not arguing with you. Do as you are told!”

“Stop talking to me like I am a _child!_ I am going to stop Zalaam and get Ahkmenrah back! I can’t believe you are fighting me on this!”

“I _forbid you_ from walking out that door!”

“Forbid all you want! I don’t care if you think I’m going to mess it up like you thought I’d mess up Egypt! If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s this! You can’t stop me!”

By this time Merenkahre was getting red like he’d gotten a sunburn. “This is my final order: Put that knife away and assist me with your Mother! This is not about you!”

“Of _course_ it isn’t, that’s what I’m saying! I can’t believe I’m going to go save him and you’re telling me not to just because you think I can’t! How many times are we going to have this argument?! Really?! Do you not get tired of it?! Is this _fun_ for you?! What? What is it? Why won’t you just let me do this for you, this one thing?! Do you really have so little faith in m-”

_“I will not lose another son!”_

Merenkahre stared at him, his fists tight at his sides. His face was firm and yet his lip seemed to tremble a bit. The anger in Kahmunrah’s body evaporated like water on a warm day and was replaced by confusion and shock. 

“I won’t,” his father repeated. “It...it is my fault Ahkmenrah is in this mess. I should have taken Zalaam more seriously. I should have stopped him when I had the chance. Now because of my mistake, he could be Zalaam’s puppet forever or trapped in Wadjet’s Mirror with no way out. I might never see him again, and it is because of my own foolishness...I will _not_ lose you as well.”

For a while, nothing happened. They stood there, staring at each other as Kahmunrah processed what his father had said. He swallowed hard, like he hadn’t done it in forever, and gazed at the floor. The look in his father’s eyes was hard. The emotion they held. “...You won’t,” he said after a while. He looked up again at his father.

Merenkahre said nothing though Kahmunrah waited for some kind of response. He looked into his son’s eyes and studied him. Finally, his shoulders sank, and his hands were unclenched. “No. I will not allow you to leave...not with that knife.”

Before his eyes, his father unlooped the small khopesh on the side of his tunic and held it out. In awe, Kahmunrah stepped forward and took it, his hand just touching his father’s for a moment. “Stop Zalaam,” Merenkahre told him. “Bring your brother back. Do not get hurt. Do you understand me?”

In shock, all he could do was nod his head.

Kahmunrah held the weapon in his hand tightly as his father left the room without another word. Kahmunrah was left in the kitchen, part of him still reeling from the exchange. After a minute, he was nearing the door when the arm of the sofa called out.

“Whoa, whoa, hold yer horses there, Rahmenoodle!” the cowboy shouted up to him. “Ya can’t go without us!”

“I can and I am,” he said shortly. “You will only get in my way.” His free hand reached out and gripped the door handle. He saw the cowboy smirk and throw up his hands.

“Suit yerself. But yer takin’ an _awful_ big chance, ya know.”

There was something about his tone Kahmunrah didn’t like. As if the miniature knew something he didn’t. “What do you mean by that?” he snarled. 

“Well,” Jedidiah’s hands went into his pockets and he paced around, confidently. “I’m just thinkin’ that it’s gonna be pretty dang hard for you to save yer brother without us. I mean, ya never been to New York b’fore.”

“I’ve navigated my way out of a desert, I think I can handle it,” Kahmunrah defended, not wanting to waste any more time.

“Sure ya can, sure ya can. But what about when ya find Dexter? He don’t really trust you. I don’t know if he’ll wanna give you the Tablet. But for yer sake, let’s say he does. Then you gotta get to the museum A-S-A-P.”

“You don’t know where that is either,” the Roman said, clearly catching on. Kahmunrah let go of the handle and looked at the two of them.

“But let’s say you find it anyway,” Jedediah continued. “‘Cause you’re just that good. You really think they don’t know you there? That they don’t know all about the Smithsonian and how you tried to kill me - a beloved friend of theirs - ‘swell as Gigantor? Why would they believe anything you say? Why would they trust you? Heck, who’s to say they’d even let you get a word out before gangin’ up on ya?” 

Kahmunrah raised his eyebrows. Surprisingly, this was making sense. Why _would_ they trust him?

“Aw, but you don’t gotta worry bout that,” Jedediah told him. “No, yer problem’s gonna be right when you walk in: Rexy.” He waited for a moment, as if Kahmunrah was supposed to know who that was. “He's a Tyrannosaurus. That's fancy talk fer ‘big, giant dinosaur’.”

Kahmunrah felt the color drain from his face as he recalled the _last_ interaction he had with a dinosaur. 

“Mmm hmm, thought that might get ya.” The cowboy smirked. “An’ Rexy’s a _lot_ bigger than Trixie. At least twice her size. Bigger teeth, too. Think you can control somethin’ that big? Last I checked, you weren’t the best with animals.”

“We are, though.” Octavius had a hand on his hip and was pretending to clean something out from under his nails, sharing his friends confident look. Kahmunrah grumbled under his breath.

“I’ve known Rexy fer a long time. I can get you past him easy. And I’ll make sure everyone else knows yer on our side. But hey, if you wanna go it alone, it’s no skin off my-”

“You’ve made your point,” Kahmunrah snapped. His teeth were gritting in his mouth. Mulling it all over quickly, he knew there was no way he’d be able to save Ahkmenrah without the help of the miniatures. _I can’t do much of anything if a dinosaur mauls me._ He glared down at the two men and pointed the tip of the khopesh at them. “How do I know you won’t double-cross me? Given our _history_ -” His eyes moved to Jedediah. “I don’t think you’d mind watching your friends attack me.”

“Yeah, but here’s the thing: Jus’ like you need our help, we need yer’s, like it or not. We wanna help, too, but we can’t do anything bein’ so small. You gotta get us to the action. ‘Sides, how am I supposed to tell Ahk I let you get hurt? He’s a friend ‘a mine and fer some reason he cares about you.”

He lowered the khopesh and crinkled his nose. _“Fine.”_ He caved. “But you’d better do as you say.”

“Ya got my word, Rahmenoodle.” The cowboy smiled.

“And you have to stop _calling_ me that.” Without waiting for a response, he grabbed both miniatures probably a bit harder than was necessary and reluctantly placed them on his shoulder, having no pockets to put them in. A chill went up his spine as they grabbed onto a lock of his hair. _They’re like insects,_ he thought. With that, he opened the door and began to walk down the hallway.

**A/N:** I have been DYING to post this chapter! Kahmunrah is taking action! What are your thoughts? And again, thank you for any comments, kudos and bookmarks! You have no idea how much happiness they bring me. :)


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